Able To Love
by Amaya-Ai
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is a rich, pretty young daughter of a lord. Natsu Dragneel is a filthy, thieving Fairy Tail pirate. When fate throws the exact opposites together, will the old superstition find that opposites really do attract? No citrus, LuNa, T to be safe. A Fairy Tail pirate story
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm back! And with the Fairy Tail pirate story I promised _ashley-myth_. Let's keep in mind though, this is JUST the first chapter. Nothing else has been written. This is simply an introduction for now. As I'm working on my own original story, I am not sure how often this will be updated, so please be patient.**

**And since _ashley-myth_ was so excited, I believe I will dedicate the first chapter to her.**

**Disclaimer: This disclaimer applies to all chapters. I hereby disclaim anything belonging previously to another owner such as Fairy Tail and any other popular references I might use in this story and praise the respective owners for their creative prowess. (: Also, if any content in this story offends you, please tell me and I'll do my best to re-upload the chapter in question with less offensive content. Thank you.**

**On with the story! Please, enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

"_Land… Ho!_" a boisterous voice shouted.

"Natsu, we're in the middle of the ocean," Erza, one of his crew members, said.

Indeed, the adventures of the Fairy Tail pirates had seized for the moment. Their navigator, Gray Fullbuster, had been seriously injured in their last fight with supposedly small fry opposing pirates.

They were on a mission to find land now, not forgetting the revenge they intended to get on the culprits. But without a well navigator, they were, to put it nicely, screwed.

Erza, the red haired hulk of a fighter, had no sense of direction to pride herself with. Natsu was, as kindly as one could say, too stupid to find a suitable island with a doctor. Meanwhile, Elfman, Gajeel, and Levy were caring as well as they could for the injured ice-make mage.

Any other crew mates they had were making repairs to the ship deck that had been damaged during the battle. Mirajane was struggling to keep up with the quickly diminishing hydrations of the workers.

"Land?" Gajeel asked from across the deck.

"No, that's just Natsu, being weird," Happy replied, wrapping his tail around said weird boy's shoulder briefly.

"I'm so _hungry_," Natsu complained, even as his stomach churned from the sea-sickness.

"Land will come soon," Erza reassured him, though she wasn't quite sure herself where the closest land would be. She looked on sympathetically as yet another bout of vomit left his lips.

They were running out of food, and some of the crew members were beginning to show symptoms of scurvy. Natsu was hungry, but he was more worried about taking care of his friends.

"_Wendy!_" A mere moment passed after Natsu's call before the black haired girl appeared, Exceed gracefully walking behind her. "Torpedo!" the salmon haired boy demands loudly.

Wendy looked at her captain determinedly. "Yes, sir!"

Before either of them could make a move, Erza slapped Natsu upside the head. "Are you _trying _to kill us? Do you remember the last time-"

Instead of listening, they ran to the back of the ship. Well, more like Natsu grabbed Wendy's hand and yanked her to the back of the ship.

He would get beat up later, but he ran anyway.

When he stopped in his tracks at the end of their trek, he put his hands together as if to focus himself.

"On three?" Wendy asked. Natsu nodded.

"_Onetwothree_!" he shouted before a storm of fire and air propelled them through the water, and the speed was so intense, the ship began bouncing on the murky salt water beneath.

A passing life raft with some fisherman aboard passed. They stared in awe.

"It's a Jesus-ship!" one of them shouted.

"What is going on!" Levy shrieks, supporting Gray's neck and head in her arms as the crew begins to panic.

"Not this again, stupid flame-for-brains," Gray mutters, leaning into Levy's bosom for support. The stomach ache he already had was not being helped by his captain's newest stunt, and his broken arm was bouncing painfully against his injured abdomen.

"_Natsu_!" the two heard Erza and Gajeel scream from outside.

"Everyone, get inside, away from windows, and grab onto something nailed down!" Mirajane commanded as she went into the kitchen. A dozen people, the entirety of what was left of the crew, followed.

Maybe fifty of their men were killed in the battle with the opposing pirates, yes, but none were sure how many would survive this stunt.

Finally, after ten minutes of chaos, and a currently vomit filled kitchen floor later, the ship began to slow down as the two trailed off to take a breath.

Fortunately, far off in the distance, as many of his crew members fainted and Mirajane, the least tipsy of them all, began to clean up the mess, Natsu and Wendy spotted, side by side, the land.

"_Land… Ho!_" Natsu shouts truthfully this time before leaning over the railing and puking what contents there were in his stomach into the ocean and on the side of his ship, the 'S.S., Natsu's Ship.'

He came up with the name.

* * *

"Might I have a second serving of caviar?" Lucy asked, not sparing a glance toward her father sitting across the table from her.

"Of course, madam," the servant bowed to her with a smile on his face. She nodded back with a smile of her own.

"Dear, you and your caviar," her step mother laughed as she walked into the room.

In truth, Lucy did not much like caviar, but it was the only thing she could stand on the menu. The only meat her family ever ate was fish. She didn't think it really counted.

She wasn't like them. She was a meat and potatoes kind of girl, she wanted adventure. She didn't get along well with her parents.

Her mother died shortly after giving birth to Lucy, but if _she_ was like this, Lucy wondered how great her mother must have been. It was a shame her mother had died.

She didn't think of her step mother, Sara, like a mother. She had always just been 'that woman my dad is with.' Something about her just wasn't motherly, and she talked to Lucy awkwardly as though they were just meeting one another.

And they might as well have been. They only began having these family dinners two weeks before. Otherwise, Lucy seldom saw her step mother and was only called upon by her father for talk of marriage and the like.

Seventeen years old. She had just turned seventeen the month before, and was finally of marriageable age. Her father must have been waiting for this day since she was born. Every time she saw him he gave her a look of poorly masked disgust. He couldn't look at her.

In her father's eyes, she had taken her mother's life.

Lucy had never been properly loved.

* * *

It was a recurring dream Natsu kept having. He dreamt of a little blond girl who held a flower in her hand. She brought it to her father who was chatting kindly with a woman who seemed to be much younger than himself.

As she approached, Natsu watched as the father's face contorted into a look of disgust. As tears filled the girl's eyes at the look of disapproval, he would wake up, eyes rimmed with unshed tears of his own.

He didn't know the girl, or if he had ever seen her in his life besides in his dreams. And he felt pity for her.

While he was loved his whole childhood up until he turned fourteen by his foster father, Igneel, the young girl in his dream is obviously severely hated by her parent.

And yet, he saw himself somewhere inside of her. The hurt inflicted by her father was the hurt inflicted by his own 'father' when one day, he woke up and Igneel was gone.

He had been devastated once. She must have been devastated every day of her life.

Natsu cried.

* * *

**A/N: As you can see, the only plot beginning that's happened is Gray getting injured and Natsu's crew getting killed. I'll not reveal much more than that. There's only a vague outline of the plot of this story. If you notice any errors, please don't hesitate to tell me.**

**Review, if you find the story worthy enough. c:**

**-Amaya**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I was going to wait until Monday so I could just call it updating weekly, but I changed my mind. D: So I guess I'm just updating whenever I want lol. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, story alerted, or read, etc. c:**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

"Lucy, dear, I suggest you get out of your little bed lest you want to be married off to the ugliest, fattest man in Fiore," warned said Heartfilia girl's personal servant, June.

Lucy was silent. Her father was being gracious considering his dislike for his daughter. The reason she was being awoken so early is because they were to board a passengers' ship heading for Magnolia. What awaited there were her suitors. She was to choose one of them _today_.

She was spiteful, and yet thankful, because it could have been so much worse. She just hoped her prince charming was among that select few.

"Okay, Lucy, but don't come _crying_ to me when you wake up with the most unpleasant man in the world lying next to you," June said.

Every servant in the mansion knew that her father held no love for her, but June was the only one she allowed to make references to it.

The red haired maid smiled teasingly at the blond, and she smiled back. They had been best friends since they were little girls, but June had only been hired when she turned twelve. That had been her father's good year, when Lucy fell ill. At some point, though, he must have felt guilty because a week after she had fallen ill, she woke up from a fitful sleep and there stood June with a bowl of soup.

Lucy smiled at the memory before being rudely interrupted by a hit to the head from a brush.

"Ouch!" Lucy exclaimed, clutching her head and curling up as June ripped the blankets from her body.

There her slender body lay in lacy white underwear and a plain white tank top.

"Hot," June said jokingly. "Now get dressed. I'm not about to let the prettiest girl on Earth get married to the ugliest _man_ on Earth," she paused as Lucy curled up further. "I swear to _God_, Lucy!"

"_Okay_! Okay. I'm up," Lucy sighed, flopping into a sitting position and looking at what June had picked out for her.

A frilly blue dress, sleeves and seams laced. "Pretty, right? If I had half the clothes you have, _oh_."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Gimme that."

"You're not going to bathe this morning?"

"I bathed last night. What's the deal?" Lucy snapped lightly.

"Well, I thought you'd want to smell nice."

Lucy stared at the dress a moment. "I'm going to go take a bath."

June smiled.

* * *

"Magnolia?" Wendy read the sign slowly for the rest of the group who weren't paying attention. They were docked on the outskirt shores of Magnolia - the ones that cargo ships didn't go to because they were filled with pollution.

"_Hey_! I'm from Magnolia!" Levy exclaimed. "Wasn't captain Makarov, too?"

The hustle and bustle of the crew stopped momentarily as they remembered their previous captain Makarov, who had died of old age a year before the battle with the pirates who killed most of their crew.

Most of the crew that had died would probably have admitted they still didn't think of Natsu as a captain. Natsu, in their eyes, was still just 'that kid that Captain invited.'

So Natsu took it hard when they died, because he tried to protect them, not only because he cared, but because he wanted to prove he was cut out for being the captain.

He decided he wasn't, yet what was left of the crew needed the authority that Makarov had bestowed on Natsu before he died. So he continued on.

The initial mission, when they all banded together as best friends five years before was to find Elfman and Mirajane's long lost sister Lisanna, and to thieve enough money to buy the rare, cursed, legendary weapon that Makarov's sick wife had sought after since she was a child; Beelzebub.

The great mage Makarov set off in search of a crew to help him find the weapon with only the vague information his wife had gathered over the course of her life. The crew Fairy Tail grew more and more intimidating as he gathered _Erza the Titania_, three _dragon slayers_, and other powerful mages with abilities most people had never even _heard_ of.

"Back to _work_!" Erza exclaimed. "Makarov wouldn't let you lazy bastards do nothing all day! We have places to be and people to see, move!"

The crew began working again at the red haired woman's reprimands. Levy bowed her head in apology, and Wendy put an arm around her in support.

Natsu still intended to find Beelzebub and buy it for Makarov's memory, though he didn't know if his wife was still alive.

* * *

The ship was motor powered, luckily, and considering they were only a few islands away from Magnolia, they got there pretty quick that morning.

Lucy's nerves were on edge. One, she was supposed to choose between men she didn't even know by sun down, and two, this would probably be the last time she would see her best friend June. Said ginger patted Lucy's hand tenderly.

"Calm the fuck down," she said, not in accordance with her kind gesture. Lucy jumped.

"Okay."

"You've got this."

"I know. I've got this," Lucy went along with it, not totally believing herself.

Lucky they were in a separate room from her father and his wife, otherwise Lucy didn't know how they'd react to the slap June lay across her face.

"Are you trying to convince me, or you?"

"Me," Lucy took a deep breath and rubbed the spot on her cheek that had just been hit. There was a hand print there now, and it was only a few minutes before they got off the ship.

"…Oh," June looked at the distinguished hand print on her face. "I just ordered a pot of Oopsy Daisies. My hand print… it's.."

"There?" Lucy exclaimed. "You can't just go around slapping people! What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry, here, we'll put powder over it."

"No! I already look as pale as a ghost!" Lucy shrieked as June came near with her make up bag.

"Can I slap the other side then so it's even?"

Lucy shot her a warning look. June put her hands up in surrender.

"I'm going to go check if we're supposed to get off now," June explained before going out the door.

Lucy's eyes began tearing up from the anxiety, and she slapped herself on the other side of her face anyway.

"I'm doomed."

* * *

"Check it out, a passengers' ship," Natsu said, eyes lighting up. He watched intently as a woman in a blue dress stepped across onto the boarding dock. She seemed familiar, somehow.

"Should we rob it?" Gajeel wondered aloud, watching the same woman for a split second before checking out the ship.

"It looks like a pretty rich boat," Wendy said with her forefinger at her mouth skeptically.

"Wendy, you should get something to eat," Charle protested.

"Can we find some fish?" Happy asked.

Levy walked to the small group, seeing as how the rest had left to transport Gray to the doctor. "Can't we get something to eat before we're banned from Magnolia Island forever and _ever_?"

"I think the small one is right," Gajeel announced. "We should grab some grub."

Wendy giggled.

"You _liiiiiike_ her," Happy accused.

"You -" Gajeel started before Natsu elbowed him in the stomach.

"Yeah, let's go get something to eat."

Gajeel chanced a look at Levy. She ran ahead with the group, eager for food. He gave a light sigh before catching up with the others.

* * *

"Dinner with the suitors is scheduled for an hour from now. Meet at the town square and I'll meet you there. Be ready by then," Lucy's father informed her before walking off onto the island.

Lucy nodded.

"Should we just go explore for now?" June asked.

Lucy shrugged. The last time she had been in Magnolia was when her mother died in child birth. No doubt she would get lost.

"Let's buy a map first," not paying attention to the scruffy looking group eyeing the ship before running off in the direction of the city.

"You bet," June replied, leading Lucy to the town square, lifting her beautiful dress skirts the entire way so they wouldn't get dirty.

* * *

"Guys, do you remember the way to that one restaurant we went to last time?" Wendy asked.

"I don't want to go there, the food isn't even hot enough," Natsu complained.

"Is there fish?" Happy asked.

"I don't think so, Happy," Wendy looked apologetic.

"Do you know where we're going?" Gajeel inquired irritably.

"Should we get a map?" Levy asked.

"Trust me, I know where I'm going!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I don't think he does," Charle informed the rest of the group. "Perhaps the tomcat should fly up and take a look around while we wait down here."

"Aye!" Happy did as was suggested, coming down only a moment later. "Let's get a map."

Charle rolled her eyes as Happy smiled sheepishly.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so nothing much has happened yet, but shit happens in the next chapter. c: Review, if you'd like to.**

**-Amaya**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ay. Sorry it took so long! ): Five days of those waiting days were me being lazy, the other 8 billion were my computer having a virus. D: Actually 17. 17 viruses. LUL. I was just browsing LOLhappens, and it was all like "Hey. What's up. I'm a virus. I think I'm going to go ahead and steal your passwords. c:" So I was like "GURRRRRAGGGGGH! MUM. MUM. MUM. MUMMY. I NEED PROTECTION." C: Anywoos. Here's chappy 3.**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

"It smells so _good_!" Natsu exclaimed as they walked toward the town square.

"Natsu, we're outside a welding shop, we're no where near a food market as far as I can tell," Levy said with an eyebrow raised.

"Nuh-uh!" Happy yelled. "I can smell the fish!"

"I can smell the market, too," Wendy backed him up with a sniffle of her own. All at once, the dragon slayers' stomachs began growling.

"Aww…." Natsu complained, slouching down and holding onto his stomach. "I'm _so _hungry."

Surprisingly, a few moments were spent in silence. Finally, Levy announced, "I think we're at the town square."

"Hurray!" Natsu and Happy cheered in unison.

"It's so crowded. Where do we find a map?"

"I don't know. Everybody, find someone to hold onto," Levy said, concerned for losing her crewmates in the crowd. Two of the dragon slayers grabbed onto their respective Exceeds while Gajeel grabbed hold of Levy's scarf, because Pantherlily was off helping transport Gray.

After about a minute of walking, the crowd cleared and a couple of citizens pulled them back into the more crowded spaces as they parted slightly to make room for the wealthy.

"Where does one find a map in this dump?" a ginger holding the skirts of a blond young woman yelled.

"I sell maps!" one of the citizens yelled, and the crowd went back to its regular bustling, making more room for the pirates to walk.

"That's the lady from the rich ship, I think," Happy said. Natsu nodded.

"Let's find the guy who was selling the maps," he suggested. Levy walked up and whacked Natsu on the head with a rolled up piece of paper.

"We've got one, where is Wendy?" she asked. They all parted and started looking for the young dragon slayer. No matter where they looked, they couldn't find a trace of the fair skin and cascading blue hair.

"Give me a boost," Levy requested Gajeel when they all met up at the map guy again.

"You guys are slowin' down business!" the old man selling maps shouted. Levy shot him a look before climbing up to stand on Gajeel's shoulders. Just then, Charle showed up with a panicked look in her eye.

"I turned around to look for maps, and when I turned back, Wendy was gone!"

"I don't see her!" Levy called downward. The rest of them started looking around furiously again. Gajeel let Levy down and started walking around looking for Wendy. Levy's eyes started to well up in tears as she looked for the girl. "She's not here."

Natsu patted her roughly on the back. "Don't worry, we'll find her and kick some kidnappers' ass."

Levy hoped he was right.

* * *

"Did you see that big guy with the studs in his face?" June asked with a grin. "_Freak_."

Lucy smiled a little and slapped June's arm. "You don't know him, he might not be a freak."

"Right, because non-freaks wear studs all over their bodies, too."

Normally, Lucy would have found this funny, but she found herself frowning instead, for reasons unknown. She thought back to the tall man hanging onto the small girl's scarf. She didn't quite remember what the small one looked like though.

"Hey, are you alright?" June asked, concerned. Lucy shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

June nudged her friend. "Well, don't be." Lucy blew out a sigh. That was easier said than done.

"You want to go grab something to eat?" June asked. Lucy nodded slightly. "Well, wait, dinner in an hour. Actually yeah, let's eat right now, that way you don't look like a starving man when you eat dinner with your suitors."

Suddenly, the clock in the square chimed loud. Lucy looked up at it to see an hour had already flown by. June looked up at it.

"What the hell? Am I high?"

Lucy smiled and patted her on the back. "Some other time."

As soon as she stepped into the middle of the square, she saw her father, punctual as always. He smiled at her, and a shiver raced across her head at the action. She was delighted (he had never smiled at her before), yet, something about his smile didn't sit right with her.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded and wrapped her arm around his when he offered it. June still held her skirts.

* * *

"Why don't you go find the others? I can find Wendy," Natsu whispered to Gajeel. He looked confused. Natsu shrugged. "She's going to worry. It'll be better to have more of her friends with her."

Gajeel nodded slightly, taking Levy by the elbow and leading her through the crowd, ignoring her screams of 'we have to find Wendy!' Charle gave Natsu a threatening look before flying off with Levy and Gajeel.

With too many people out of the way, Natsu searched all out, with no luck for a couple of hours.

* * *

She did turn out to look like a pig when she ate. She dropped pasta down the front of her dress, and in a moment of panic, had the audacity to reach between her breasts to find it.

One of her suitors was deeply offended by this and stood up to leave. Another spit out his drink in shock. Yet another simply gawked as her chest, ahem, jiggled, as she looked for the noodle.

When she finally got it out, her father gave her a threatening look. She looked down in horror, face red as a tomato, only turning more red as the gawking, ugly man kept staring at her chest.

* * *

"Where could one little girl _hide_!" Natsu said, exasperated. Happy shrugged as he flew.

"Maybe she went fishing?"

Natsu frowned slightly.

* * *

"So what do you do for a living?" Lucy asked the ugly man that had watched her blatantly before. He wouldn't stop looking at her like she was something to eat.

"Not much."

He'd been giving answers like that for the past ten minutes in his raspy, damaged voice.

She wanted to sigh, but had to make a good impression. She was thinking the other guy had to be better than this.

* * *

"We should get something to eat while we're thinking of where she could be," Natsu suggested rather uncharacteristically - considering it was a rather logical idea.

"Fish?"

"Fire food."

Happy visibly deflated.

"They'll probably have fish, Happy." The smile returned to the Exceed's face.

* * *

One minute, she was drinking her tea as gracefully as she could after losing half her dignity when suddenly, her mouth was duct taped over, her eyes were covered with a slimy, sweaty hand, and she was trying to scream at the top of her lungs to get help, to no avail.

"Don't worry, sweet heart. We'll take good care of you."

* * *

"Maybe she really was kidnapped?" Happy said worriedly as they came out of the restaurant they'd just eaten at.

"Maybe, Happy."

* * *

She was scared, and breathing hard. The hands on her smelled like oil and sweat, and the breath of the man smelled like booze.

They were in a carriage, but her heart was thumping so loud she couldn't hear the ruckus of the hooves or the wheels.

One moment she was in a man's gross arms, the next, she was on the floor in something wet, and her vision was back. She looked around, her eyes trying to adjust to the dim light.

'_What the hell are you doing?_' she tried to scream. A piercing pain lit her face on fire as the duct tape was ripped off.

"What's that, hun?" said an ugly man wearing sunglasses.

"You _won't_ get away with this!" Lucy exclaimed. "I hope you know who my father is!"

He laughed. "Oh, I do. Jude Heartfilia? And boy do I know who your mother is - makes a fine ass like you."

Lucy's eyes were welling up in tears, not only from the duct tape being ripped off, but from disgust and terror, as he walked away and closed the door behind him.

"Don't worry," said a voice.

Lucy screamed.

"No! No, I'm not going to hurt you!" the voice was soft, gentle. "I was captured, too. But don't worry. I'm a pirate, and my crew mates are going to come and rescue us!"

She sounded completely convinced. Lucy was not.

"How long have you been here?" Lucy asked disbelieving.

"Well… a few hours," she paused, "but I know they'll come!"

Lucy paused, giving her a chance to regain her bearings. "What's your name?"

"Wendy."

"Lucy Heartfilia, nice to meet you."

* * *

"Have you seen this girl?" Natsu asked as he held up a poorly drawn picture of Wendy. He'd been asking people for about a half an hour with not much luck. The man he was showing now studied it closely.

"Oh… well," he started, "What do I get if I tell you?"

Natsu frowned and patted his pockets.

"_I_ brought some fish!" Happy exclaimed, offering it to the man. He took it, oddly enough and pointed it down an alley way.

"I saw a few thugs drag a young lady in a dress down there. They might be going to an abandoned warehouse," he said as Natsu started tapping his feet in anticipation. "It'll be the dirtiest warehouse in the bunch."

"Was Wendy wearing a dress?" Happy asked as they headed for the warehouse. Natsu pondered for a moment as he ran.

"No idea."

* * *

"Do you guys really raid passengers' ships?" Lucy asked, cautious.

"Yep, but we try not to hurt any of the passengers if we can avoid it," Wendy's soft voice soothed her worries.

"Why not just raise money by getting jobs?"

"It'll take years that way. We're trying to raise enough money to buy a cursed, legendary weapon that our Master was after. Nobody but the current captain knows why he wanted it, though."

"How much is it, anyway? How long have you guys been a… you know… crew?"

"The legend says it's more money than anyone could raise themselves. Master Makarov guessed it was about a few quadrillion jewels, but I can't help but think we'll have to raise more than that. Oh, and about five years, almost six."

Lucy choked on her spit a little at how many jewels the weapon cost. That much money would put her father at least a couple trillion jewels in debt.

"That's one huge amount of money!" she exclaimed. Wendy didn't seem surprised. "What's your guys' crew's name?"

"We're the Fairy Tail pirates!" she proclaimed proudly.

"Fairy Tail, huh…?" Lucy felt like she had heard that name before. Not anywhere in the news - she never paid attention to the newspapers. Maybe… her father had told her about it? Maybe in her dreams? She couldn't remember.

The calm that had settled over them was interrupted when the door was pried open loudly. They both whimpered once and cuddled into one another.

* * *

"Hurray! We found it!" Happy exclaimed. Natsu grinned.

"Yeah, now we can find Wendy then get more food!"

"Wendy, huh? That's the little one's name?" someone asked from behind them. He looked pretty cocky. Natsu gave him the once over before getting into his fighting stance.

"Oh, you're that crew of hers that's going to rescue her? We'll see about that!" the man continued as more of the thugs came to stand behind him.

"I ain't scared!" Natsu shouted, punching one fist against the opposite hand, not watching as the two limbs were engulfed in flames. The faces of the thugs showed shock and fear. "I'm all fired up!"

"He's a mage!" Natsu heard one say.

"What kind of magic _is _that?"

About half of them ran after seeing he was a mage, and he finished the rest off with one blow.

"Fire Dragon's _Roar_!"

* * *

"You called that bastard, didn't you? Little _bi_-"

"Called who?" Wendy interrupted the obscenity of the angry man before them.

"That pink haired mage with the fire!"

At that moment, something wrapped around his neck and stayed there tightly until the man was unconscious. Then the snaky object that looked suspiciously like a tail unwrapped from the man's column.

"Happy?" Wendy asked, hopeful.

"We're here!" Natsu exclaimed, hands still on fire.

"Natsu!" Wendy squirmed in her bindings. Lucy looked up at him in disbelief. Wendy's friends had really come?

"Who is this?" Natsu paused in their mini celebration, looking at the blond girl with big, doe-like eyes.

For a moment, he just stared at her. Where in the world had he seen her before?

And then it hit him; this was the girl that he dreamt about every night. Only - this one was way older.

"This is Lucy Heartfilia," Wendy introduced them as Natsu burned off her foot bindings. "Lucy, these are two of my friends, Natsu, and Happy."

Lucy nodded, a little nervous. She couldn't see much, only the outlines of the two. Her eyes were still adjusting to the light, and she jumped and burned her hand on Natsu's fire when she felt his breath against her back, trying to undo the bindings.

"Ouch!" she squeaked.

"Well, careful," Natsu reprimanded simply.

"Lucy is weird," Happy concluded. Said girl frowned.

"I'm weird? You're a talking cat. A talking-flying-cat."

"Talking flying cats aren't weird," Natsu argued.

"Natsu, her parents are lost - wel,l her parent," Wendy interrupted. "Can we help her find him? She's been in here for a while now. No doubt he's worried."

"I doubt it," Lucy muttered. "But still, it'd be really nice of you to help me out."

Happy's wings flapped excitedly as they started walking outside. "We can help Lucy, can't we? I like Lucy, she's weird."

Natsu gave a sidelong look at the blond. "She _is _weird. What's your parent look like?"

Lucy paused. "You don't know the Heartfilias?"

Natsu shook his head and shrugged as her mouth dropped open slightly. "Well first, can you take me to the docks? I want to see if the ship is still there."

* * *

**A/N: HURRAY FOR CHOPPY CHAPTERS. Hawh. I've actually had this written for WEEKS. Just. My computer was gone. For those of you who are reading my Naruto fanfiction _I'll Try_, I'll be updating as soon as I can, but I was only just now able to start the chapter. D: Anyway review, if you'd like. Thanks to everyone who followed and reviewed! C:**

**-Amaya**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, so in case anyone is confused, here is the entirety of the crew so far. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Elfman, Mirajane, Gajeel, Levy, Wendy, Charle, Happy, Pantherlily. That's eleven people - which is what is left of the Fairy Tail pirates. For those of you who want to know who was in it, it was pretty much everyone who's there in the real Fairy Tail guild except for three people.**

**I just gave you a slight hint - THAT MEANS YOU GET NO MORE QUESTIONS wahaha. Anyway enjoy! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

"So… your dad just up and left you?" Wendy asked innocently. Natsu winced behind her. The words cut deeper than the preteen knew.

Lucy shrugged. "I should be used to it by now. Normally I have to buy my own boat home. It's just normally I have my servant… with me." She looked around as if looking for June, knowing that she wouldn't find her there.

The two dragon slayers watched her gaze head to the ground.

"She must… have gotten on the ship…" Lucy trailed off. Her long blond hair, dirtied from the men that had captured her, blew toward the west, covering her face. Natsu watched, almost entranced, as her slender fingers coaxed the strands from her face.

"That's too bad," Wendy said, a sad look on her face. Lucy seemed to snap out of it, and at the same moment, Natsu looked away, his face heating up a little bit.

"Well, I'll see her when I get back," she paused. "Only… I'll have to be in town for a while. I wasn't given any money this time. S'pose I'll have to work for it." She grimaced, not used to the notion.

Wendy looked heartbroken for a moment before her eyes lit up. "I know, Lucy! We can take you home!"

"Huh?" Natsu cut in stupidly. The younger dragon slayer turned around and slapped her hands together in plea.

"Oh, _please_, Natsu, please, please, please?" Wendy pouted, her lower lip quivering. Natsu's eyes widened as her eyes seemed to begin to get moister. Finally, tears were at the corners of her eyes. Natsu scoffed and looked away.

"Yeah, well. It's not that big of a deal."

Happy seemed to light up at this. "Aye!"

Wendy spun around again, the tears gone like magic. "Yay! Lucy, we can bring you home!"

Lucy blushed and looked down, feeling like she was overstaying her welcome with the trio. "Oh, well, it's okay, Wendy."

"…What?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes shaded before she looked back up as the tears sprung back to her eyes. Lucy's eyes raised a little in sadness.

"I meant… I meant it's okay if you bring me," Lucy quickly amended.

"Okay, let's go find the others then!" Wendy happily exclaimed, walking back up the beach with a bounce in her steps.

Wendy was a very good actor.

* * *

Lucy stood trembling quietly on the deck of the S.S. Natsu's Ship, under close inspection of what was left of the crew.

"Damn, that's one fine piece'a pie," Gray commented, eyeing her.

"Stay yourself! Being an ogler isn't manly!" Elfman exclaimed as Erza cut in.

"No! This girl is of marriageable age and is of wealthy heritage. She doesn't need to be dirtied by you, Gray," she said with a little bit of a threat to it.

"Such a pretty dress," Mira mused.

Levy nodded. "She's like a damsel in distress."

"That rhymed," Pantherlily commented seriously. Charle nodded in reply.

"She reminds me of a…" Gajeel paused, putting his finger to his chin as he stared at the trembling girl, "… bunny."

"A bunny?" Gray looked over at Gajeel like he was crazy.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't you see it? I mean, her little pig tail on her head. Kind of looks like a bunny ear."

"I can see it," Wendy piped up. Levy nodded.

All of them were interrupted as the youngest dragon slayer's stomach growled loudly in unison with Gray's.

"Let's go shopping for food, girls. Natsu, why don't you boys take Wendy to eat? Don't spend too much of the money, though," Erza suggested. She reminded the pink-haired man too much of Macao, one of their crew members that had been killed in action, for some reason.

"I think I'm going to stay behind," Mirajane chimed finally, a sweet smile on her face. Titania nodded.

"And, Natsu," Erza looked back over her shoulder as she put her hands on the backs of the two other girls. Natsu looked at her skeptically. "You six had better get along."

Natsu swallowed loudly as she walked away. He could have sworn her eyes had turned red for a moment.

"What's she talking about, six?" Pantherlily asked. "There are nine of us."

"Aye!" "Indeed." Charle and Happy spoke in unison.

Natsu seemed to have snapped out of it by now.

"Fire food!"

"No!" Wendy protested.

"I'll be the one to decide where we're going," Mirajane ordered, though with another of those bright, motherly smiles. The rowdy boys couldn't help but smile back or agree.

Erza led Levy and Lucy below deck. "You'll want to change first. In those clothes, you're sure to get kidnapped again."

She tried on some of Levy's clothes. Too short. She tried on some of Erza's clothes. The chest was too ample in all of the blouses.

"I don't have many t-shirts…" Erza said, digging through her dresser, "but I have this pink tank top. It should fit you."

It fit. Quite snugly, actually. Lucy was dressed more revealing than she had ever dressed before. How did these pirate-women handle being so exposed? Even Wendy was wearing a dress that barely came to her mid thigh, and she hardly even had a chest yet at thirteen years old.

The blonde's hair was washed and combed, courtesy of the light blue haired girl she'd come to know as Levy. Her hair was in one pig tail again, only more neatly done. She was wearing a very short, black skirt that almost came down to her mid thigh and a pink tank top that fit tightly to her body and exposed some of her midriff.

Her chest, for the first time during the day, was not painfully boosted by a corset, and she felt at ease as Levy handed her a belt, seeing as how Erza's hips were a bit wider and more womanly than that of Lucy.

"When I found this belt in my closet, I thought of you," Levy beamed at her, gesturing to the dark pink and black striped belt with a pink synthetic flower as the buckle.

"I think these boots will fit you - they're from a couple of years ago and I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them," Erza explained, looking down at Lucy's now-clean bare feet. She had been scrubbed down briefly before her hair was washed, too.

Before long, the brown leather boots were all laced up to her knees and the group of nine upstairs had finally gone to feed the young girl. Levy and Erza led Lucy through town.

"Got any hobbies?" Levy asked after a few moments. Lucy blushed slightly, though she was feeling a little more comfortable around the strangers now.

"Uh, well, yeah, sort of," she started. "I play soccer sometimes," she giggled a little. "I kicked one of my classmates when I was little and he told me I should start playing it."

Erza chuckled. "That's the way to be."

Levy smiled. "Just soccer?"

"Well, no. I like to read, and write, sometimes draw, even though I kind of suck at it. I sew, sometimes, too."

Levy's face seemed to have lit up. "What's your favorite book? No - that question is too hard. Genre?"

"Romance. Definitely."

Erza blushed and smiled slightly. "Aw. Love."

"They should make a genre out of love, not romance," Levy said, patting Erza on the back.

"No kidding. What about you, what's yours?" Lucy asked the blue haired girl.

"Ah, romance - well, actually, I do like reading fighting scenes, too, but I have a really hard time writing them," Levy continued. Erza smiled. She hadn't seen Levy so excited about a friend since Jet and Droy, before they died in the battle.

"_Writing _them? Lucky you, I have a hard time even imagining them."

Levy snickered. "Sucks to be you. I'm the best at imagining those. Do you read smutty romance?"

Both girls walking alongside the smallest tensed visibly and stopped. After a few steps, Levy noticed and turned around, blushing a bit.

"What? I was just asking."

Lucy cocked her head a little. "Sometimes." Levy raised a brow. "Okay, all the time. I'm human."

Levy laughed, and Erza smiled a little.

"If I'm not making you uncomfortable, I suggest you girls stay your libido, or you may be kidnapped with that attitude," Erza chuckled a little, gesturing at some men that had heard their conversation and were eyeing them.

Levy glanced quickly. "Yeah, right! I could take them easy."

Lucy laughed. "It looks like they could crush you!"

Indeed it did. All of them were muscular - or if they weren't they were lanky with leanness. Lucy was sure she'd be bound in a heartbeat if they had targeted her alone.

"It _looks _that way, doesn't it?" Erza commented. "But Levy uses rune magic, an ancient art that has been passed down in her family for generations - and it has only gotten stronger."

Levy blushed slightly, but nodded. "Actually, all of the Fairy Tail pirates are mages, save for the Exceed."

"Too bad," Erza smiled. "The boys were too rowdy for you to meet all of them."

"If only Reedus were here, he'd at least draw them all so you'd catch them sitting still for a moment," Levy laughed. Erza's eyes dimmed slightly, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Don't be like that," Lucy scolded. "I'm sure I'll have a few moments to meet them - at least before I get back home."

"So being a rich girl must be pretty sweet. What's it like?" Levy inquired after a moment of silence.

"It's…" Lucy paused. "Not as fun as you would think. Sure, you get the luxuries that no one else can afford… and yet, it's almost… like something every other child could get every day is missing from your life."

"But you're not a child anymore," Erza pointed out. Lucy grinned.

"You're right, I'm not."

"Oh, we should get some fruit right away - I think those boys are getting sick," Levy interrupted as they took their first step into the market.

"Mandarins! Get-cha mandarins!"

"Freshly picked oranges - you can get them for a bargain!"

"It's a tea pot, made from _real_ porcelain!"

The shouts of desperate traveling merchants and local farmers carried throughout the streets. Children were chased up and down by their parents, and young thieves of the very same age were flagged down by patrol officers as they clutched goods as deep as they could in their hands.

"I-" Lucy sputtered. She felt a hand on her back and looked to see Levy looking at her with a look of concern on her face.

"You okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Lucy smiled. "I've just - don't laugh - I've never been in a market before. My… father's servants do that."

Erza went a little wide eyed, finally understanding the luxury of the life Lucy had lived so far. Levy shrugged.

"There's a first time for everything."

The girls chatted nonstop as they picked up stocks of fruit and wrapped meat, kept preserved by ice-make magic. Some vegetables were picked - but the crew wasn't fond of them, not even Mirajane, so they were limited. The women of Fairy Tail tried to be as diverse with their foods as possible, though.

Lucy decided this was the most fun she had ever had.

* * *

**A/N: So I dun-did-decided this little, Lucy-getting-to-know-the-Fairy-Tail-Pirates, is going to go on till next chapter. So... that means one extra chapter. Hurray for you guys, unless my writing sucks, in which case shoot me! Ha. Review, if this fanfiction is WORTHY enough for you.**

**-Amaya**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: SURPRISE! EXTRA LONG CHAPTER EXTRA EARLY. Which probably means next chapter will be extra short and extra late, but ENJOY THIS NOW, FOR IT IS 4,812 WORDS LONG, NOT COUNTING A/NS. Harrrr. If you notice any errors, don't hesitate to tell me!**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

"Put everything in the refrigerator and we can go grab something to eat," Erza ordered, and everybody saluted, even Lucy.

"Yeah, what she said!" Natsu shouted playfully after them.

"Yeah, _right_," Gajeel scoffed. Gray looked at Natsu with a mix between a supportive look, and a dirty one.

Natsu looked visibly hurt as everyone filed into the kitchen and pursed his lips. Happy promptly set his rear on Natsu's head for a moment before Natsu grinned and pushed him off. "Go help or something, you!"

Happy grinned, too. "Aye!"

"What was that all about?" Lucy asked, unable to contain her curiosity. She stopped close behind Natsu with her question. He tensed a little.

"What was what all about?" he asked, whirling around and giving her a grin, but something about this one didn't seem quite real to Lucy.

"You know what I'm talking about," she crossed her arms stubbornly. Natsu's face immediately turned from jovial to grave.

"It's none of your business," he snapped slightly, a scowl setting softly onto his features. With that, he stormed off into the kitchen to help.

"They don't think he has the right to be captain," said a voice. Lucy turned around slowly to see Wendy leaning over the railing, looking at the ocean as the crew prepared to set sail after they ate. "Or rather… they don't _accept_ him as captain."

"_Natsu_ is captain?" Lucy asked incredulously.

Wendy smiled and nodded before Erza called her in.

"Hey, Wen, come in and heal up Gray's wounds completely - the poison's out now, and it's scabbed over a bit."

"I'm coming!"

Lucy walked over to the railing and took the young girl's place, unknowingly staring at the watch tower not far from the ship, thinking a little over her newfound information. She had honestly thought that Erza was captain - of course, Wendy had never mentioned any of their positions, she had just called the rest of her crew mates her friends.

"Lucy, let's get going!" Natsu called, beaming at her as though nothing had happened. Something stirred in her belly as she watched him catapult himself over the side of the ship and swim onto shore.

"Natsu, are you kidding me?" Levy shouted in rage.

"That boy needs some new clothes," Mirajane commented. Erza nodded.

"I don't think we've shopped for clothes for any of us for over a year."

"Clothes don't matter," Gajeel cut in, steadying Lucy by the arm when she almost fell off the side of the ramp that led to shore. "If we shop for those, we'll put the old man out thousands of jewels for Beelzebub."

The rest of them fell silent as they reached shore, only the sounds of Happy and Natsu's laughing and footsteps on the sand filling the void.

"Um…" Lucy stuttered quietly, still trying to will herself to be more comfortable with the group of pirates. She wanted this sad atmosphere to go away. It didn't seem right. She felt like Fairy Tail pirates should always be happy. "I can… pay for your expenses for clothes once we get back to my island."

Erza looked at her gratuitously, but shook her head. "I couldn't let you do that."

"Taking money from a woman unable to provide for herself is unmanly!" Elfman agreed. Wendy nodded and Charle did, too.

"Why shouldn't we take the money? She's trying to pay us back, you know," Gray interrupted.

"That's right!" Levy agreed, taking Lucy's side as she had been all day. "Luce should be able to pay back what she owes if she wants to!"

"Food, food, _food_!" Natsu chimed in the background.

Gajeel shifted from one foot to the other. "I don't see why not."

Everyone looked to Mirajane so she could break the tie, as Pantherlily had taken Gajeel's side as well. The white haired woman shrugged.

"Lucy should do what she wants to do."

Everyone's heads snapped in Lucy's direction. She shrunk slightly under their gazes.

"I… I would like to pay. You guys are helping me - I should return the favor."

Erza sighed. "Fine, but that means you get clothes, too."

"But wouldn't that contradict your ea-" Elfman was about to point out until his older sister elbowed him in the back. Erza looked at him expectantly. "Nothing."

"Let's eat, already!" Natsu complained, trudging towards the city.

* * *

The dinner was a lively one, and the crew of only eleven people put the pub they were at out of ale and gin. Gray was drunk off his ass and had to be carried home, Natsu was a little tipsy, and everyone else was drunk enough to take the edge off but sober enough to walk by themselves.

Save for Wendy, Erza, and Lucy of course, who were carrying bags to the ship.

Erza didn't drink, as she thought that she might act foolish, so she ate a chicken breast, drank some milk and ate a slice of cheese cake. Well, almost did. Natsu, in his rowdiness to prove himself a greater fighter than Gajeel (as Gray was out of commission currently) accidentally knocked the cake into her lap. All over her blue skirt.

Chunks were sliced out of the beams at the ceiling of the pub and tables were cut in half in her rage. It was a wonder the building was holding up.

Meanwhile, the others who were slightly inebriated kept offering drinks to Lucy and Wendy.

"Come on, it'll be nice for you to start early!" Gray insisted. Elfman punched him in his broken arm lightly, earning a grunt of pain.

"It's not manly," he paused to belch loudly, "to corrupt children!"

"You don't even know what manly is!"

Which led to a huge argument, in the middle of which Erza left to buy some clothes with Mirajane.

"You sure you guys don't want any?" Levy asked. Wendy looked at her uncertainly, and at the same time incredulously.

Lucy puffed out her cheeks, crossed her arms above her head, shielded Wendy with her abdomen and shouted, "We're underage! No drinking for us two girls!"

Some laughed slightly, some continued on with their fights. The Exceed all sat together with Lucy and Wendy.

"That's true," Charle glared at Levy. "You shouldn't offer to someone who you know is underage."

Levy put a small glass of ale in front of Charle and poked her nose. "Lighten up, kitty."

Charle blushed, yet took a drink of the concoction. Immediately, her face was flushed. "That's very good, what is this?" Levy laughed.

The night wore on and by the end, Lucy felt like she was where she belonged.

* * *

Lucy was outside the kitchen of the boat in her new purple night gown, leaning on the rail to watch the waters splash by beneath the ship. Every so often, she would lift her head and look at the moon glimmer over the horizon.

All was silent but the waves of the seas, until one lone crew member staggered to her side and puked obnoxiously off the side of the ship.

She recoiled, her mouth twisting into a grimace, and wipe the chunks of vomit off her feet, then scrambled to the kitchen to wash it off.

She was snapping her wrists back and forth when she came back out, trying to dry them, when she spotted a feverish Natsu breathing heavily over the railing.

"Are you alright?" she asked, placing her hand on his bare back. He was burning up.

"Ahugh!" he heaved, then moaned slightly. "Just - sea sick."

"That's awful," Lucy tried to make herself laugh away from the worry, "to be a pirate that gets sea sick."

Natsu smiled slightly. "I can deal."

Lucy's slender hands awkwardly rubbed soothing circles on Natsu's scarred back, stepping backwards slightly each time he heaved over the edge.

Natsu was overly aware of her fingers on his back, and even more heat rose to his face when her whole hand rested on his back. She must be grossed out, he realized quickly, by the sweat on his back and the vomit he sprayed every so often. He shivered when her hand twitched before rubbing his right shoulder blade.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked concernedly, not showing a single trace of being disgusted. Natsu quickly nodded.

"I'm-" he was interrupted by another heave of vomit-less air. Lucy's hand moved to the middle of his back in support, and it rippled slightly beneath her touch.

Natsu was about to bite back his embarrassment and speak again when she said, "When I was little, my nanny taught me how to make tea for nausea. I used to get sick really often, is why. I'll go make some for you, okay?"

Natsu didn't like tea, but he nodded anyway, shivering at the loss of warmth her hand provided for his back, though he was burning up from the heat.

"Come inside. It's a little cooler in here," she poked her head out the kitchen door a moment later. Natsu waited a moment, making sure another bout of vomit wouldn't interrupt him before he staggered inside and sat at their kitchen table.

The kitchen was small, and it always had been despite their crew's former size. Natsu huffed slightly at his memories. Some of the crew ate in here with Mirajane, leaning against the counters as the girls ate at the table. The rest walked around on deck with their plates in hand. By the end of each meal, the open space was sure to be a train wreck with food.

Natsu was pulled from his thoughts by the slight clanging of cheap china when Lucy set it on the table in front of him. He watched abashedly as her hips swayed when she walked back to the counter to pour herself a glass of tea. Her creamy legs seemed to be never ending, and almost glimmered in the moonlight.

He'd had women before - he was a pirate and twenty-two years old, but he had never felt anything for any of them. That's why he became confused when he blushed when he watched her walk.

"Take a picture, it might last a little longer," Lucy teased. For reasons unknown, Natsu looking at her like that didn't bother as much as it did when other people did it.

Natsu looked away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to -"

"You should drink your tea. You'll feel better."

Natsu's blush faded gratefully. He was glad she hadn't made that anymore awkward than it had to be. He picked up his tea cup - that looked completely foreign in his big hand - and poised his lips to take a drink.

"Wait! It's hot -" Lucy warned, but Natsu seemed unfazed when he set his cup back down on its respective saucer. "Oh."

"Hot things don't really bother me."

Lucy shrugged and smiled slightly. "I guess not."

A couple of minutes were spent in silence, made a little awkward as they watched one another blatantly as the man from earlier that day had watched Lucy.

Lucy decided that Natsu was handsome, as she studied his facial features. His jaw squared off to an attractive chin. His lips were not too full, nor too thin. His nose was angular, with a slight bump on the bridge, showing at some point in his life he had broken it.

His eyes were dark, and wild, like a caged dog. The sparkle in them only added to the fire.

Meanwhile, his face was mostly free of blemishes besides a few cuts or bruises, give or take. Though his hair color was odd, for a man especially, she thought it suited him and added a nice touch.

"Take a picture, it might last longer," Natsu mimicked in a high pitched voice. Laughter bubbled up in Lucy's throat as she punched him weakly in the arm. "What kind of a punch was that?"

Lucy giggled again. Natsu smiled.

"You're weird."

A few moments later, Natsu had finished his cup of tea. He sat there with Lucy as she finished hers.

"I feel a little better now," Natsu commented. He sure was a talker, Lucy decided. "What was in that shit?" He slapped a hand over his mouth, feeling a little ashamed, like he shouldn't swear in the presence of a proper woman like Lucy.

Said wealthy teen waved her hand as if in dismissal. "You can talk the way you usually do, it doesn't bother me."

Natsu was still a little tense.

"Would it help if I cursed, too?" Lucy asked with a slight smirk to her lips. Natsu laughed, a low baritone sound originating from his belly.

"It wouldn't sound right."

Lucy's stomach fluttered at this. "I suppose not. I've never cursed in my life."

Natsu's eyes widened. "Really?"

She bobbed her head from side to side. "Well, I suppose I curse in my head sometimes. But it… doesn't feel right. I've always been taught that a classy lady shouldn't curse."

"Well, they shouldn't," Natsu agreed before taking a deep breath and standing. "We should get some shut-eye."

He sounded a little disappointed to be leaving the conversation. Lucy took the last sip of her tea.

"You're right. Anyway, wake me up if you want me to make you some tea." She lay a hand on his forehead. His temperature had cooled down a little.

"Sure," he said, but he didn't plan on waking her up. Her hand brushed his shoulder on the way back to her side. "So I'll, see you in the morning."

Lucy nodded and picked up their dishes, watching out of her peripheral vision as Natsu looked back at her at the door before leaving to go to sleep. She looked at the clock on the wall, just barely able to read it in the dark. Four in the morning - they had been talking for almost an hour.

She finally felt like she could go to sleep.

* * *

"Breakfast time! Get your lazy butts up!" Mirajane called downstairs playfully, slamming a wooden spoon against a metal pan.

"I don't want to eat!" Gray complained, clearly hung over.

"Food!" Natsu's steps thundered up the ladder.

"I'm so hungry," Gajeel said.

"It's manly to eat breakfast!" Elfman remarked.

Mirajane laughed and walked to the other side of the ship and opened the trap door to see the young women were already emerging from their quarters, save for Lucy.

"Is Lucy alright?" Mirajane asked, a little alarmed.

"She's getting dressed," Levy rolled her eyes. "She's got something against eating in her pajamas, I guess," she said loud enough for Lucy to hear.

"Shut up!" Mirajane heard faintly.

She helped the girls out and waited at the edge of the trap door.

"It's going to get cold!" she shouted, only to be greeted quickly by a well managed Lucy with a blue bow in her hair which was up in her signature pig tail, dressed in a long sleeved blue shirt and a black denim skirt that reached her knees.

"You didn't have to wait, Mirajane," Lucy smiled at the woman who reached for her hand. She took it gratefully.

Mirajane simply laughed. "So how are you liking it here?" It was so like her to not wait for her answer and instead cut her off with, "Do you like any of the boys?"

Lucy blushed. "No!"

Mirajane laughed and smacked her playfully on the back as they made it to the kitchen.

The boys were eating like there was no tomorrow, but Gray and Natsu both stopped, the latter with half an omelet sticking out of his mouth, and looked at Lucy in greeting.

Natsu blushed slightly and looked away, eating a little slower and sitting up a little straighter.

Mirajane did not miss this. She giggled and looked at Erza, Levy and Wendy, who also noticed.

Lucy, on the other hand, _didn't_ notice, and sat down next to Levy like nothing had happened, watching as the Exceed picked food off their respective dragonslayers' plates. Well, Happy did, until the fish was gone, then moved on to Gray's, who slapped his paw away.

Happy deflated and sat on Natsu's back.

"Happy, you can eat my fish," Lucy called. The Exceed perked up and flapped his white wings slightly before flying over to Lucy and devouring her fish.

"Thank you, Lucy!" Happy said with a mouthful.

"Don't you like fish?" Natsu inquired, looking at Happy uncertainly. The Exceed shrugged and kept eating.

"My family only eats fish - it's nice to get away from it for a change," Lucy replied, gesturing to her omelet with a gratuitous smile to Mirajane.

"_Only_ fish?" Gray looked incredulous.

"Bunnies don't eat fish, do they?" Gajeel remarked. Lucy gave him a slight playful glare. He simply laughed, along with a few others.

"Fish is a pretty healthy food though. You're almost lucky they didn't pick red meat," Erza commented. Lucy shook her head.

"My father can't eat red meat - he's terminally ill." The rest of them became silent. Lucy smiled. "Don't worry about it - he won't die for a long time, as long as he doesn't drink too much and doesn't eat red meat."

The group relaxed and continued eating. Lucy finally picked up her silverware after Levy took her first bite. The blue haired girl took notice and looked at her weirdly.

"Oh -" Lucy sputtered, blushing and realizing she didn't have to wait for the rest of the group to begin eating. Levy laughed, nudged Lucy and rolled her eyes.

Natsu, who finished his plate - first as always - plucked food off other people's plates and watched this little exchange in confusion.

"There's enough for seconds, Natsu," Mirajane said, noticing the salmon haired man taking food from the others.

"Seconds?" Gray piped up, getting up to go to the counter for more. Natsu promptly pushed him back down, grabbed his plate, and got up to grab some more food. "Hey! That's _my_ seconds!"

Lucy laughed, and Natsu looked back at her with a smile as he piled what was left of the food onto his plate.

"Mirajane, he cheated! Plus he stole food off my plate!" Gray complained.

"Oh, that's low," Gajeel teased.

"Oh, no he _didn't_," Levy tacked on, sending Gray a teasing smile. Mirajane laughed.

"Early bird gets the worm."

"Can we have pancakes tomorrow?" Erza asked, finishing her plate and putting it into the sink, stealing a piece of bacon off Natsu's plate.

"Hey!" Natsu reprimanded.

She pinched his shoulder and said, "You do it all the time."

He pouted and went back to eating.

"Sure - we have enough flour to last us months," Mirajane said happily.

"Can I help cook tomorrow?" Lucy asked. She liked to cook - but she only got to do it in the middle of the night so she could eat whatever she wanted.

"Yeah, I could use the extra help," Mirajane smiled. Lucy returned the favor with a slight blush.

* * *

The members of Fairy Tail fought with one another, argued with one another, laughed with one another, and helped one another all day, and were worn out completely by dinner time.

For dinner they had skinless chicken, salted with lemon pepper and salt, and some rice, buttered nicely and peppered over with salt and pepper. It was a rather light dinner compared to normal, but Mirajane herself was also tired and wanted to make something relatively quick.

Though Lucy was exhausted, her eyes would not stay closed as she lie in bed. In the next room, connected by a door, the boys were snoring loudly, tuckered out from another day of shenanigans.

Levy was awake, reading a book with a dim candle as her only light. Erza was sleeping with one of her legs peaking off the edge of the bed. Mirajane was turned away from Lucy, snoring softly. Wendy was curled up with Charle in her arms, stirring every so often in her not-yet-heavy sleep.

After about twenty minutes, Levy yawned and blew out her candle, saving her page. She put the book quietly under her bed and slipped under the sheets.

Lucy stared at the ceiling, her eyes refusing to stay closed for long, and her legs aching slightly from the days activities. She listened as Levy's heavy breaths indicated her slumber.

"Lucy!" she heard her name being said a little loudly. The voice sounded very drowsy, and she guessed the culprit had only just woken up. Some of the boys' snores were interrupted, before they continued on. She heard some squeaking from the next room, and then a door opening and closing.

She sat up slowly, the bed squeaking under her weight. None of the girls had stirred except for Wendy, who had simply turned over.

Lucy got out of her bed as quietly as she could and started climbing upstairs, squeezing out of the small space between the ground and the trap door, as she didn't want to open it completely and risk waking anyone up when it slammed against the ground.

Her footsteps tapped against the hard oak wood floor. She peaked her head around the corner to see Natsu leaning over the rail, heaving slightly with some liquid dripping down his face. She couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears, but she decided it was probably sweat.

"You okay?" she asked quietly. Natsu didn't jump as she thought he would, he just heaved again, then crumpled up into a ball and sat on the ground. "Natsu."

"Your dad hates you," he said quietly. Lucy was mildly surprised. She had already dropped hints about that before.

"Yeah. You want some tea?"

He nodded, and got up, shivering in the cooler air of the kitchen. After she put the water on, Lucy went to the linen closet and grabbed a sheet for Natsu to cover with. He took it gratefully and heaved slightly.

Lucy put a hand on his back as she had before and pulled up a chair next to him.

"What's up? Can't sleep?" he asked.

She smiled slightly, a little worried as he heaved again. "I usually don't sleep until the wee hours of the morning."

Natsu nodded and lay his head down on the table, only to recoil from the chilliness.

"It hurts to be touched," Natsu said, and she noticed his gums were a little redder than they should have been. She got up and made some lemonade to help, though it would probably sting his mini wounds.

"Drink this," she said, setting the glass down and checking on the water, which was almost boiling.

He searched his memory, making sure everyone else had gotten enough of the fruit concoction before he took a drink. Almost instantly, he felt a little better, but his stomach was still upset. He tried to ignore the stinging in his mouth.

Lucy put the ingredients into the boiling water and let them sink in before pouring the tea into the teapot. She poured some for each of them, adding a little lemonade to Natsu's.

"…Why did you say my name?" Lucy finally asked after a full minutes of silence. Natsu tensed a little.

"I dream…" he started, "about a little girl that looks like you."

Lucy's eyes narrowed skeptically. Natsu blushed at the implications of his words, but continued on.

"She laughs and plays in the flower beds. She runs away from the bees. She tries to catch the rabbits," he paused to take a drink of his tea. Lucy does the same. "She picks a single pink flower for her father."

Lucy finds this familiar somehow, and vaguely remembers doing something of the same nature for her father.

"When she runs to him, he's talking to a woman much younger than him. The little girl holds out the flower, and he _glares_ at her. Like she's the most unworthy, and the most disgusting being in the world."

Natsu seems enraged, but his wild eyes are looking down into his tea cup, dejected.

Lucy's father looks at her like that all the time, and she had come to know it over the years. It didn't bother her as much now - and it helps that her step mother loves her like her own, even though she can never express it.

"Does the younger woman have brown hair a light blue eyes?"

Natsu thinks for a moment about the woman who sits next to the father, Jude.

"I don't remember."

"She's probably my step mother."

They're quiet for a second.

"…If it makes you feel any better about it, my step mother loves me."

It didn't make Natsu feel much better. In fact, it made him feel worse. He hunches over even more and heaves slightly, though not from the sea sickness this time.

Shouldn't a father love their child? Shouldn't a father take care of their child? Shouldn't a father play and make their child happy?"

Questions of the same sort ran through his mind over and over again.

Why wasn't Jude like Igneel? Because, Natsu decided, Lucy deserved better than that.

"What about your father?" Lucy asked, trying to make conversation. She sipped from her glass of tea.

"My father is a dragon," Natsu perked up proudly, almost forgetting his dreams. "He taught me everything I know. He taught me how to use dragon slayer magic."

Lucy smiled, not at all surprised by the existence of dragons.

"Sometimes he'd let me ride on him, but his scales were sharp, and I was really small, so it wasn't often," Natsu paused for a breath, putting his hands down from his gesturing.

"What was his name?"

"_Is_," Natsu corrected. "Igneel is still alive. But uh…" he paused, "one night we fell asleep and I woke up, and he was gone. The grass was still warm, so I ran after him -"

Natsu stopped there, and Lucy looked at him sympathetically. He was frowning for a moment, but then he smiled again.

"Well, we're going to find him. My friends will help me, too," Natsu said optimistically.

"I would help, too, if I could," Lucy grinned reassuringly. Natsu frowned again, and Lucy felt a little guilty.

He had forgotten she was only on the ship so they could take her home. For a while, he was blissful with the thinking that she was a member of his crew.

"Can we come back and visit?" he asked after a moment. Lucy smiled sadly at him and shook her head.

"No. My dad's probably already going to be angry that pirates took me home. He's going to think he owes you guys money."

"Why don't you join?"

Lucy tensed up. "Join?"

Natsu beamed. "Yeah! Join Fairy Tail! You fit right in!"

Lucy blushed and looked away. She had never really had friends like this before. June had been her only friend since she was a little girl, and she didn't really confide in her as much as she had with the members of Fairy Tail.

Her breaths became shallow, and suddenly it felt like her throat was closing up.

"Gee, I didn't mean to make you cry, Luce," Natsu apologized. Lucy's hand flew to her face, and sure enough, hot tears were dripping from her eyes.

"Hmmph," Lucy whimpered, wiping them away for them to only be replaced by more. Natsu put his big hand on her shoulder.

"Lucy, you don't have to join if you don't want to," Natsu said, tears burning his own eyes at the sight of Lucy's. He willed them away.

The laugh Lucy let loose was morphed into a slight cry. "I want to!" she amended.

Without her knowing, she tilted slightly in Natsu's direction, leaning her head on his shoulder, as her chair was still pulled up to his from before.

Natsu felt his heart begin to beat a little faster, and heat rose to his face. He took the last drink of his tea, set it on the table, and wrapped his arms awkwardly around her.

He'd never really comforted anyone in tears. Usually with his crew mates, it took a simple pat on the back for them to feel better - and none of them full on cried like this.

"Then why don't you?" he finally said quietly.

Something clicked in Lucy's head. He was right. Why didn't she? She didn't have much to leave behind.

She took a few deep breaths and pulled away, trying to shake the thoughts from her head.

"I'm going to go to bed," she said as Natsu's hands, almost twice as big as hers, drifted off her shoulders. The calluses rubbed pleasantly against her hands, stopping there.

Natsu looked at her meaningfully, and Lucy took her hands from his and stood, walking back downstairs, leaving Natsu in the dark to worry.

* * *

**A/N: Heart to hearts, man. Gotta love 'em. c: KJDAS;FKSKDJF Review. :D Oh and thanks to everyone who already DID review, favorited, followed, or even read. c:**

**-Amaya**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: That's right. I'm updating. What of it? :o**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

"Heartfilia-Isle, on the horizon," their currently-one-armed navigator, Gray, called. He began ordering the others to prepare for dock.

Lucy's clothes were still packed in the plastic bags they came in, but she planned to leave them here, as she knew that her father wouldn't stand for her wearing any of the things in those bags.

"Luuuucccccc_yyyyyyy_!" Natsu cried. "You're sure that you can't stay?"

"Yeah, Lucy! We're all going to miss you so much!" Happy continued. Mirajane smiled.

"That is true. I'll have no one to pester about their love life. These girls tell everybody," she said, gesturing to Erza and Levy.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned blue haired (under sized) woman, Levy, was crying her eyes out - nose snot and all.

"Lucy please _stay_!" she screamed. Natsu stuck his finger in his ear to clean the now-disturbed wax. "I'm _a wreck without you_!"

Despite all of their obvious attempts to make the goodbye comical, Lucy's eyes began to moisten. All of them visibly stiffened.

Lucy tried to blink away the tears but that only made it easier for them to escape her eyes.

"Ah… Sorry. I was trying not to."

Gajeel shrugged. "If you don't want to go, then don't go."

It was Lucy's turn to stiffen this time. Everyone nodded in agreement. "That's right, Lucy!" Happy declared.

Lucy took a big sniffle, then wiped her eyes. It was a big decision, and they would probably make it to Heartfilia-Isle before the hour was up.

"Weigh the pros and cons," Erza suggested. "Here, you'll be happier. Everyone knows that. There, you'll have all the luxuries in the world, but you won't be happy."

The blonde's shoulders slumped some more.

"But maybe we're wrong about the kind of person you are. Maybe you _want_ to spend your life unhappily when you have opportunities right in front of you."

Lucy gave a shuddering breath as Erza continued.

"But you'll never get another chance like this again. Once you say no, we're probably not going to come back."

Natsu looked at Erza incredulously. She wasn't fazed, because although it was harsh, it was the truth.

"But don't feel pressured, or anything," Gray grinned. Despite her tears, Lucy smiled at that.

It was quiet for a few minutes, before the hustle and bustle started back up as they prepared to dock. Lucy stood in the same place until they were about to land, not looking at anyone, not talking to anybody.

When the ship was completely stopped, she heard, "Lucy?"

She whirled around to see Natsu, looking at her uncertainly, and almost _afraid._

"You don't have to go."

The words were so certain despite his expression, so evenly said, that it almost left no room for argument. Instead of reassuring her, Natsu was secretly telling her that she was not allowed to leave.

She nodded. "Then I won't."

His face went from that of a serious expression to a wide, face-splitting grin. It was contagious, the other members of Fairy Tail could not help but grin, too.

That included Lucy.

* * *

Everyone was ready to get off the boat, much to Lucy's confusion. All of her comrades seemed tense. She felt out of place, like she didn't know what the hell was going on, and she didn't.

Natsu shared a look with each of the members of Fairy Tail, excluding Lucy. Her brows furrowed.

"We're going with the usual layout," Natsu spoke more quietly than usual, and everyone leaned a little closer to listen over the waves. This was the first time Lucy watched Natsu take authority.

Everyone looked towards the blonde, and he continued.

"We're robbing your father, sorry," he said nonchalantly. "Let me explain the layout to you."

Lucy wasn't angry with them, but she was shaking in fear. She knew the kind of man power her father had, and she was scared they couldn't handle them. Natsu didn't give her a moment to express her fears.

"Gajeel has the best eyesight, and moves quickly, so he will be at the front. Levy and Erza will be behind him, because Erza can _react_ quickly, and Levy can provide Gajeel with fuel for more power, iron. Wendy, Gray and I are behind those two, because our magic is completely opposite, so we can compliment one another with our magic."

He took a breath, and Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off as he continued.

"Mirajane and Elfman are our brute force. They protect the Exceed who are a clever help in stealth," he paused again, and looked at her apologetically. "You won't be going on this one with us. You'll only get in the way."

He didn't mean it to spite her feelings, she knew, but it still hurt.

Natsu frowned. She looked like a kicked puppy. "But we'll find a place for you next time since this is kind of last minute," he amended. Lucy nodded, but didn't look much assured. "This time, though, I'm going to have Elfman stay back with you."

Elfman nodded. "It's manly to protect those who are weak!"

Lucy frowned.

* * *

"…So, Mirajane is your sister?" Lucy asked stupidly as they sat in the kitchen, trying to make conversation.

Elfman nodded and got up to make some coffee. Lucy slumped over.

"She's very nice," she continued, looking awkwardly at her fingers. Suddenly, her ears were near-split with Elfman's boisterous laugh.

"Yeah I guess," he said between fits, merely remembering her in battle. Lucy fidgeted for a second before voicing her worries.

"Listen, my dad has a lot of manpower. I… don't know if they can get through it."

Elfman simply looked at her with a grin. "It's manly to go into a raid prepared."

She didn't quite understand what it meant, but it soothed her, somehow.

* * *

_This is really magnificent! _Erza thought, tip toeing without a sound when Gajeel's signal came. The main halls were brightly lit, and the adjoining halls were either completely dark or the emergency lights were on. This made being unseen a lot easier.

The Exceed moved any cameras and disabled any motion detectors as they passed. Most of the time Natsu wanted a fight so he let them be detected before the security was disabled.

Levy jumped when she heard a squeak behind her.

"Sorry!" Wendy mouthed, wiping her nose. Natsu was laughing a little behind her, and Gray was behind him nursing his healing arm that he had accidentally just hit on the wall.

"Keep going," Mira whispered in Gray's ear. He followed suit.

"Let's go, we're falling behind," he whispered to Natsu, who swatted Wendy's butt in an effort to get her to move. She started jogging forth as another of Gajeel's signal came.

Levy and Erza sprinted the one hundred feet down the main hall before they got to the next adjoining hallway.

Natsu stopped at the corner and shielded Wendy with his body before peeking his head around the corner.

One finger and one thumb with Levy's skin color was thrust into the air - the Fairy Tail signal. Natsu got in front of Wendy and Gray stayed close behind, guarding her should the unfortunate event anything happened, happened.

While they stayed at the adjoining hall corner, Levy and Erza moved to the corner to the next main hall. Natsu looked to his left, the north, making sure it was all clear. Meanwhile, Mira looked to her left, the south, and all was clear. Natsu gave the signal, and the Exceed bolted forward at Mira's level, Mirajane close behind, guarding them with her body.

This continued in several hallways until Gajeel came to a hallway with three doors. He stopped crouching on the wall and stood straight, cautiously walking forward. His nostrils flared and his ears twitched slightly as he acknowledged his surroundings.

From the right, plain door, there was quiet. From the left, also plain door, there was the bustle of pots and pans and the splashing of water coming from a tap.

But from the forward magnificent French doors, there were faint breaths and the sound of fabric rubbing against fabric. There was also the crackle of a fire. He walked forward and pressed his ear against the door before opening it slightly.

"Stop where you are. You're not going any further," came a raspy, authoritative voice. Gajeel didn't jump, as he had heard footsteps and knew they weren't his comrades'. "Turn around and slowly put your hands up."

Gajeel did as he was told with a smirk. The man looked at him in disgust, and his followers were left to do the same.

"Slowly remove any weapons you have on you."

"I don't have any," Gajeel said honestly. "Unless you expect me to remove my fists."

The man's eyes narrowed and he cautiously walked forth, pressing his knife against Gajeel's neck, though he had to reach his arm as high as he could to reach.

There was a moment of complete silence before Gajeel saw Erza and Levy looking at him in shock from the main hall, having gone ahead without waiting for his signal. Suddenly, he thrust himself back, bent low, then as the man slashed left at him, he bent to the man's right and passed him a left hook.

Immediately that man was knocked out from the utter force of the punch and the troops came at Gajeel.

"Bring it on!" he shouted, kicking one of them straight in the groin, knocking him back to clutch at his injured appendage on the ground. As one made to slash his arm, he elbowed backwards to hit him in the jaw, cracking it slightly and causing him to fly backwards toward the wall.

The sound of Erza's sword leaving its sheath echoed in his ears as he took off man after man, but more and more seemed to be coming.

Levy was beating a man left and right, not even taking out her stele for her magic. Suddenly she and Erza went to clutch at the frame of the door just as the smell of Wendy's mint-orangey breath cleared the hall, knocking most of the troops off their feet.

Gajeel was able to stay in place, what with the weight of his muscle and sheer body mass, and kicked many of the men who were on the ground, rendering them immobile as they clutched at their aching stomachs and groins.

The next thing he knew, everything was hot - really hot, and he almost couldn't breathe. Then he was ushered forward by very small hands and he looked over his shoulder to see the smiling face of Levy.

"Get out of here," she said, "you're going to get hurt."

Then he was pushed behind a shield that Levy had made. Erza and Gajeel crouched around Levy to protect her from the fire.

It smelled like burning flesh, and though some were seriously injured, all of the men were alive.

At the end of the hell, Natsu blew on the tip of his finger as though he had used a gun. "And that is what Hell is like," he grinned.

Meanwhile, the French doors and right door had been completely scorched off their hinges, and inside, Jude lie on the ground beneath his wooden chair, face slightly scratched from the lick of the fire and the burn of the floor.

"Help! Help!" he called desperately, as Natsu walked in nonchalantly.

"So… where's your safe?"

"You want money?" Jude took a breath and pulled out a key from his pocket, throwing it at Natsu. "I'll give you money. Take it. Take what you want!"

"So… where's your safe?" Natsu repeated, picking up the keys from the floor. Jude pointed to a closet as Erza walked forth and pulled out from beneath the chair. She straddled his back and held her sword to his throat.

Natsu wanted it to be as easy as take the money and leave, but unfortunately for him, in the closet was not a safe, but something else.

_BOOM! THWACK, THWACK!_

Natsu was thrown back and Erza jumped behind the chair to shield herself as Jude laughed.

"You thieves are so gullible!" he wailed. "I'll never give you my money!"

"Check it out, it's the safe," Natsu grinned cheekily, pointing excitedly to the metal door in the floor. He unlocked it with ease. Erza laughed and held Jude down.

"We didn't ask you to give us your money."

The rest of the gang came in with their backpacks empty and Natsu handed them jewels after jewels. Soon all their backpacks were full and onto Jude's nape, Erza delivered a quick, hard, karate chop, knocking him out on the spot.

Troops were piling into their hall and one by one the Fairy Tail Pirates began jumping out the window, running toward the border of the island, hundreds of Jewels dropping out of their many bags on the way.

The troops ran after them in obedience to Jude's screams, but they were too slow to catch up, and already the pirates were at the shore of the island, starting up their boat and splitting the sea with their speed.

* * *

Lucy was drawing circles on the table as Elfman talked nonstop about the manly things in life, when all of a sudden the boat started tilting on the water.

The familiar sound of an anchor lifting was heard and the clobbering of the metal hitting the strong wood floors.

"Let's go, move, move, move!" Natsu ushered all of his crew members to their respective places. Lucy came out and stood behind Natsu as he and Wendy stood at the bow of the ship and readied their magic.

On the shore came running hundreds of troops, but more importantly, Lucy's best friend, June.

The ginger smiled at her, understanding, and waved.

Lucy's eyes began watering and she began to second guess her decision to join the Fairy Tail Pirates.

But a few moments too soon, for the two dragonslayers she stood by took deep breaths and combined their magic, speeding up the ship before they had hardly started the motor.

Lucy crumpled to the ground and held onto the railing, the tears blowing right out of her eyes as the speed of the boat pulled all of the members down to the ground of the ship.

Once they were a good distance away, Natsu stopped and Wendy soon followed suit.

Some of Fairy Tail laughed, and the rest were puking overboard, but Lucy decided that maybe, she really hadn't made a mistake coming here.

She decided she would treat her feelings like they were important, and right now she wanted to be happy. This was the only place that would happen.

* * *

**A/N: Soooo. How about it? Luls, review if you'd like. c: Thanks for reading!**

**-Amaya**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hihi, hot readers! Hot because you're reading, and hot because I'd probably think you're hot anyway. c: I updated a little faster this time! I figured it was about time, plus it's my mum's birthday and I'm in a good mood. Wish my maaaaaam a happy birthday! Do it with me!**

**Happy birthday, Melanie! Say it in a review you leave, and it'll probably make her day that much better.**

**And she needs it, because she just got tested for cancer yesterday. :o Doesn't get the results back til next week. For my muuuuuumm! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

"Alright, so throw a couple jabs at me," Erza said, holding her fists in front of her face. Lucy held hers up awkwardly and threw her punch at a curve. "Okay, but throw straight," Erza corrected. The blonde threw a straight punch but was using too much force. "Okay… but throw a couple jabs at me."

"What's a jab?" Lucy asked quietly, a blush tinting her cheeks. Natsu came up and clapped her on the back. He crouched his knees and beckoned her into an orthodox stance.

"Natsu, throw some continuous jabs, will you?" Erza instructed. Natsu did as told. Lucy studied closely when Erza beckoned her. "These are jabs. A hit doesn't always have to be powerful - in fact most times they're not. Most hits - such as jabs - are meant to throw the opponent off by hitting their jaw or their ears, disturbing their equilibrium."

Lucy listened closely as Erza explained.

"Throw some punches," Erza announced.

Lucy pointed at herself skeptically, but her hands went back to her sides when Natsu started punching with some force.

"These are perfectly executed punches. Notice how his hips move with the punches more than they had with the jabs."

Instinctively, Lucy looked down at Natsu's hips and found herself unable to look away from the tan skin. She watched the muscles in his stomach flex and ripple as he moved and even led a brief eye toward the hollows near his beginning sex lines.

Erza, however, was looking at Lucy, trying to decide if she was really studying, or just looking at Natsu's attractiveness. Considering the dazed look in her eye, it was probably the latter.

Natsu's ears were heating up as he felt Lucy's stare on him. He turned his head the other way so she couldn't watch as the heat spread up onto his cheeks.

"Do you see how he almost steps into it?" Erza continued finally. "This adds more power to the punch, which is very helpful if you're fighting an opponent who is much bigger or stronger than you," she took a breath. "No matter what your size, you will always be able to evade, and in turn defeat an opponent with clever tactics and fluent movements."

Erza twirled her finger in a circle pointing toward the ground and Natsu's punches became stronger.

"This is called a rotation. This is a punch that you step into. With the force of Natsu's punch, he could probably knock a grown man dead if he hit the right spot."

Erza stepped behind her and held her by the arms for a moment, putting them in the correct spot.

"Feet apart, and parallel. Crouch as low as you can - where you know you can stay in that crouch for a long while," Erza said, signaling to Natsu that he could stop punching. "This is an exercise called stance. By doing this and throwing punches perfectly and continually for as long as you can, you are practicing both your stance and your balance. When you think you're ready, you can crouch lower and lower until you're so low, you're simply balancing on your feet."

She took a deep breath and demonstrated stance. Lucy watched closely before beginning herself. Erza stood up straight and Lucy was about to stop when Erza said, "I expect you to be still doing this by nightfall. If you do this continually until then, you'll be able to eat."

Lucy inwardly gasped, but with the serious look on Erza's face, she guessed the woman wasn't kidding. Lucy looked over and Levy was looking at her with a sheepish smile on her face. Natsu was grinning at her.

"I'll do it, too, Luce!" he said. Happy floated up and begin punching mid air.

"Aye!" he yelled enthusiastically. Lucy laughed, but stopped when she was punched in the face. She was so unused to being struck so hard that she fell right to the floor.

"Keep your hands up in perfect stance, and be glad this isn't a real fight," Erza commanded, but with the look in her eyes, somehow Lucy couldn't find it in herself to be mad.

Instead, Lucy laughed. She laughed until she cried, and laughed even more when the rest of the crew began to laugh, too.

She really was happy.

* * *

Her abs were hurting and her arms were sore. Up until now her body had always been treated as a delicacy, but clearly her crew mates were trying to teach her that the body was made to be battered.

There was a jingling noise pervading her ears, but she didn't stop to check what it was. She just kept punching, smiling a little when Levy walked by with a, "Keep at it, Lucy!"

The blue haired girl's eyes strayed to Lucy's chest were many keys were tied to a string. Her eyes widened as she recognized them.

"Lucy, are those -" Levy began, only to be interrupted by Mirajane.

"Levy-chan! Could you please come help me clean this kitchen?"

"Okay! Coming!" Levy tossed a smile over her shoulder at Lucy, who grinned slightly, taking deep breaths and continuing her stance.

"How is Lucy doing?" Mira asked, drying off the dishes as Levy began to sweep the floor.

"A lot better than I thought she would," Levy leaned on the broom for a moment and looked at the white haired woman. "Being in a material household up until now, I sincerely thought she'd have difficulty doing one thing for so long."

Erza smiled as she came to join the young women. "It seems our Lucy has much more willpower than we originally thought."

"Erza-san, it's nightfall. Shall I tell Lucy to rest now?" Wendy asked as she came into the kitchen as well.

The red haired woman looked at the watch on her hand. "One more hour, then she can stop."

* * *

"You should grab something to eat," Natsu said nonchalantly as he walked by. "It's way past nightfall."

Indeed, Erza had come maybe an hour before and told her she could stop if she wanted to, but Lucy continued. Her stomach was growling something fierce though.

Natsu seemed pleased when she listened to him and not Erza. Contrary to popular belief, Natsu _did_ have feelings other than happiness and anger. He was always hurt when his crew mates treated Erza like the captain of the crew.

She took a few steps and stopped to touch her toes to stretch her legs.

"You okay?" Natsu asked, lending a helping hand to steady her.

"I'm okay. No need to worry about me!" Lucy grinned at him. Natsu wasn't stupid - he could tell when one of his crew members was sick or in pain, and that included Lucy, now.

She was worried about being dead weight in the crew, he realized after a moment.

He could hear her joints creaking slightly against one another. Some part of him had the urge to carry her to the kitchen so she wouldn't get hurt, but he also knew that walking off the soreness would help a little.

"Did I do pretty good today, Natsu?" she asked, walking to the refrigerator and looking for something to eat. Meanwhile, Natsu sat at the table with a glass of ale he had left there.

"Better than I expected," he answered truthfully. Her shoulders slumped and he amended, "This is your first time trying to train your muscles, or so it seems. You're doing a lot better than most do when they first start fighting."

"But I didn't even fight anyone today," Lucy argued as she sat at the table with cold leftovers from dinner. Natsu grinned a little.

"True, but you'd probably hold your own for a little while if you put your mind to it."

"For a little while?" Lucy frowned. Natsu chuckled that low sound - it sounded so low that it almost felt like it was reverberating inside Lucy's own being.

"I'm sure you want to make yourself out to be super macho - thing is, though, it takes a lot of practice and commitment," the dragon slayer explained.

Lucy giggled a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right," her gaze drifted to the ground, "I _am _pretty weak."

"I ain't playin' this game," Natsu snapped quickly. Lucy's gaze shot to his. "You're fishing for compliments, right?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and scoffed. "As if I need compliments from the likes of _you_."

Natsu grinned, but _was_ a little hurt by her comment. It was the first time since meeting the noblewoman that he felt like she was looking down her nose at him. He took a drink of his beverage, marveling at the way it felt burning down his throat.

"Hey -" she started, taking a bite from her food and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

Natsu grinned, yet looked at her meaningfully. At this, Lucy could tell he was a little drunk.

"How many have you had?"

She watched as his cheeks inflated with a belch he tried to keep quiet - it ended up being one of the loudest she had heard.

"A couple," he grinned, his eyes sparkling stupidly.

"If you've lost track, Natsu," Lucy warned warily. Natsu shivered slightly as her hand slid down his shoulder.

"Don't even worry about it. This is only my second one. I'm just tipsy is all."

"You better be '_just tipsy_,'" Lucy frowned, taking another bite of her food. "I hope you have a horrible hangover tomorrow."

"What, you don't like drinking?" Natsu asked, taking another drink as if to make a point.

"It's not -" she started, but then nodded. "Yeah. I guess I don't like drinking."

"Why not?" Natsu seemed dumbfounded. In fact, the only ones in their group who hadn't drank before was Wendy and Happy - seeing as how Charle had had her first drink only a few weeks before.

"Well, it just seems pointless to me. What's the point of getting drunk beyond recognition - not being able to remember anything of the night before, getting hurt, wondering where you got your wounds -"

"To just escape from it all," Natsu said solemnly. It was quiet for a moment, and he kind of felt like he had made this conversation much too personal. "For some people anyway," he amended with a grin, "I just drink for fun, though."

"What's so fun about it?" Lucy asked, easily detecting his lie.

"It's kinda hard to explain," he frowned. "It's like - all the people who are normally quiet or all the ones who are normally loud - they become totally different people. It's like seeing people for who they really are -"

"I don't understand," Lucy cut him off. He shrugged and finished off the glass of ale.

"It's like - well have you ever heard the saying that people only tell the truth when they're drunk?"

Lucy nodded, "That sounds a little familiar."

"Well, it's true for some cases. People reveal things about themselves, and about each other. They say they secretly hate someone that they're always hanging out with - and somehow, you just know they mean it."

"And you find it fun to watch people?" Lucy asked. "You think it's fun for them to let out their feelings for you unknowingly?"

"I think it's entertaining," Natsu corrected himself as he got up to pour himself another glass. "Besides, you're doing it right now, aren't you? Aren't you entertained?"

Lucy frowned. She was getting interested in reading his actions and listening to his low voice in her ears.

"S'what I thought," he said as he sat back down. "You're kind of a hypocrite, you nobles."

Lucy looked up at him confusedly, also a little offended. "What?"

"You're hypocrites. You always say how we pirates, no, we commoners are so damn filthy and thieving, and dumb, when you guys steal -"

"I never considered myself a noble," Lucy interrupted defensively. "I've never really been like them. Sure, I inherited some habits from my dad, but I - he and I have always been different."

Natsu didn't continue on with his speech.

"So what about your dad?" he asked. Lucy shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think? He didn't post a reward for you yet. It's been almost two weeks."

That was true. Lucy had been left behind on raids for those days before she finally asked Erza to teach her. In that time, the Fiore inforum had come out twice, and all over the front page there had been articles criticizing her father for not posting a reward for Lucy.

She wasn't surprised. She didn't expect him to really want her to come back, but it… definitely did hurt.

"I'm kind of pissed about it," Natsu continued. "Okay, I'm really pissed." He slurped up the rest of his drink.

"Natsu, slow down."

"I'm done for the night, anyway," he said after he had belched.

"What do you care if he didn't post a reward anyway? It's not like it really matters."

Natsu let out a breath that smelled foully of alcohol.

"I don't even know. It just really bugs me."

Lucy shrugged. "It's cool. It doesn't really bother me, if that helps," she paused as she finished up her food. "You should go to sleep."

Natsu belched one more time before plugging his nose and smiling teasingly at her. "You should take a bath."

Lucy frowned. "You should brush your teeth, drunkard."

"Hey, why do you have to call names?" he nudged her playfully with his hip as he passed. "Good night, Luce. Sleep good."

Though Lucy was sore and tired and sticky with sweat and a little smelly, her stomach fluttered from his good night wish. She practically skipped to the bath when she got downstairs.

* * *

**A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, but kind of not since I planned this chapter in the outline. Only, this was supposed to be chapter 6. This is turning out to be longer than I thought. :o**

**Anyway, for those of you who need structure when reading a story, there are going to be two arcs. This is just the rise of the first arc. In the last arc, you'll finally find out what happened to Natsu's crew. **

**I'm not sure if I should use Grimoire Heart or if I should make up a different crew. I don't remember the names of the people in Grimoire Heart, anyway. :L **

**Let me know, brahs! Also, thanks to anyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, or even read! It means a lot that I have a story to tell and you're listening, even if it's not even an important story. c:**

**-Amaya**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: NO EXCUSES. I'm a lazy sack of crap! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

"Lucy get in front of me," Natsu whispered. Lucy did as she was told, her steps clicking quietly on the floor. "Also, wear quieter shoes next time."

It had been almost a month since Lucy had begun learning how to fight, and though she was getting better, she was still inexperienced, so the blond had been moved into Natsu and Gray's group in the raids.

Wendy was moved up with Erza and Levy so that she was protected by both Gajeel and the two boys behind her.

As the black haired dragonslayer's powers improved, though, she was allowed by the crew to scout the way for Levy after Erza made her way across each point to Gajeel's previous point.

Lucy was running as quickly and quietly as she could, still making more noise than Natsu could bear, so when she ran into Gray's bare back, he pulled her legs out from under her, took her shoes off and burned him within his very hand.

Lucy looked furious and she was about to yell at him when Gray made the Fairy Tail signal and the salmon-haired man offered his hand as Gray got ready to run. Lucy stayed close behind Gray, ready to move when suddenly, Gray was backing up.

"Go, go," he whispered almost inaudibly. Lucy panicked and backed up against Natsu's chest as he craned his head to tell the others behind him to go back.

They looked at him with panicked eyes as well, and in the moment he knew that there were people coming on that side, too. Elfman shielded his older sister and the Exceed while Natsu and Gray made a point to keep Lucy surrounded.

On one side, it was only two teenagers talking animatedly to one another and they didn't even look down the alleyway. When they passed, Elfman quickly took the Exceed and Mira to that street.

Though the other three had been wearing dark colors, Natsu's hair was still bright, and Gray's bare skin glimmered with sweat in the moonlight.

"Where's your shirt?" Natsu silently asked with a gesture toward Gray. The ice mage's hand made its way to the right side of his chest, briefly touching the Fairy Tail symbol branded on him, to make sure Natsu wasn't messing with him, before shrugging nonchalantly.

Lucy blushed, trying to escape from Gray's well sculpted chest right in front of her. Her eyes clenched shut and she leaned the opposite way, a little ticked when she heard a chuckle bubble up quietly in Gray's throat.

Natsu's ears twitched minutely, listening to the steps pass. Lucy trembled between the two men, in fear? He didn't know, and although he didn't much like the sight, he waited until the sound of the people passing was completely gone before he moved.

"You guys are smelly," Lucy whispered, rubbing her barefoot against her opposite leg, trying to get the dirt off of it.

"That's the stench of hotness," Gray corrected, before running quickly across the alleyway to finally come to the alley of their target's death. Lucy followed quickly, stepping on a few pieces of glass. She didn't stop, though, as the past month had taught her to be unaware of such minute pain.

Unsurprisingly Gajeel had taken out their target-guy by now and was probably headed toward the mansion of this town with the keys from their closely guarded owner. The girls after him were probably long-ahead of them, Lucy thought worriedly.

She sniffled in disgust at the smell of blood in the alley, trying to hurry past as it didn't seem that Gajeel had taken out all of the body guards. She longed to check if the owner of the mansion was still alive, but when Natsu's impatient hand ushered her forward by the shoulder, the thought passed.

"Almost there, Lucy_yyy_!" he said. "Keep going!"

She nodded determinedly and followed behind Gray. As the moonlight caught her jangling keys and blond hair, though, she thought she heard, "Layla!?"

She stopped dead in the middle of the street, tripping Natsu up, who accidentally slammed against her and knocked her to the ground.

"Brake check!" she whispered. Natsu laughed slightly, but scanned their surroundings, having heard the call as well.

"Who are you? Who is Layla?" he asked when he caught sight of a brown haired woman who looked to be almost in her forties.

"That's my mother's name," Lucy whispered.

"It is," the woman smiled when she recognized the young blond. "You must be Lucy, of the Heartfilia family. Your mother and I were very close friends when we were younger."

Lucy's eyes twinkled in the moonlight, but Natsu's eyes were panicked as he heard footsteps approaching. The woman seemed to notice this.

"My name is Priscilla. Meet me at the café a couple of blocks from here tomorrow morning. I'll tell you what I know then."

With that, the middle-aged woman was gone and Natsu was ushering Lucy away as quickly as he could.

* * *

"Lucy, I don't know about this," Natsu said warily at breakfast. "What if she's some kind of super-robot-evil-old-lady?"

The blond looked at him, exasperated, before taking the last bite of her eggs. The others looked at her expectantly, all silently agreeing with Natsu, aside from the robot part.

She took a drink of her orange juice before saying, "You guys. I already don't know much about my mother and this could be my one opportunity to know her, if even a little bit. All I have left of her is this necklace."

Lucy gestured to the keys around her neck as Levy opened her mouth. "I've been meaning to ask about those. Aren't they -"

"I've had this necklace for as long as I can remember. Somehow, they make me feel closer to my mother," Lucy explained, as she stood, walking out the door. "Thank you for your concern, you guys, but I have to do this."

The room was silent as she left until Gajeel's chair squeaked across the floor. Lily looked at his owner expectantly. "You should go after her, Lily," the dragonslayer said. The Exceed just nodded and without another word, was gone.

Natsu looked at Gajeel approvingly before leaving as well.

* * *

Lucy hadn't laughed like this since she was a child. She was absolutely jubilant with the stories Priscilla told her of her mother.

When the laughter died down and Priscilla was looking at Lucy expectantly, she said, "I knew there had to be a reason I was never anything like my dad."

Priscilla smiled. "Your mother and father were always polar opposites," she started, "they had been in an arranged marriage from the time Layla turned nineteen, though."

Lucy perked up at this.

"Though Layla was among the poorest families in Magnolia, from the first moment Jude saw her, he had fallen in love with her," she paused to take a drink of her coffee. "In fact, instead of Layla's father offering a dowry, Jude actually paid_ her _parents to let him marry their daughter."

The blond found this very hard to believe, but still smiled at the thought of her father being so… sweet.

"The way he looked at her," Priscilla rolled her eyes and grinned, "it was like she was saving his life or something," she went quiet, reminiscent. Her eyes began watering a little. "Why, I wouldn't doubt it if by marrying him, she really did save him."

"Did she love him too?" Lucy asked, her eyes water as well. Priscilla nodded.

"It took about a year for her to _fall_ in love with him, but she loved him as a friend from the beginning."

The Heartfilia smiled and let her tears fall, one dainty finger moving up to brush them away. Priscilla's tears never fell, though, as she seemingly became entranced with Lucy's chest. She looked down and only saw the cloth covering her breast and the keys that lay atop the blue material.

"Aren't those Layla's Keys?"

Lucy looked startled. "They are."

"Do you use them at all?" Priscilla asked, noting the dull, almost lonely color of the keys. Lucy's brow furrowed.

"Use them? What is each key for?"

Priscilla looked shocked. "Well, Lucy. Those keys are the portals for spirits to come into our world."

Lucy looked disbelieving as the older woman continued.

"You see, Layla was a Celestial Mage. A Celestial Mage makes a contract with each spirit she finds and takes care of their keys. Most Celestial Mages only see their spirits as tools, but Layla thought of all of her spirits as her friends."

"How do I… open them?" Lucy sputtered.

"I'm not sure. When Layla first showed me a key the day she got it from her father, she just commanded the gates to open and out popped this man dressed in a horse costume, Sagittarius."

The woman gestured for the keys, and Lucy reluctantly took off the necklace. The next moment, Priscilla was writing something on the napkin.

"I'm writing down the names of all of these keys. There are a lot of them, and now that you know what these are, I expect you to practice, and treat all of these spirits with respect, even if they're mean to you."

Lucy nodded, watching her quickly draw out the symbols on each of the keys before writing things like 'The Water Bearer,' or, 'The Pendulum Clock,' and then writing down these weird names like Horologium.

Now that Priscilla was writing all of these down, she realized there really were a lot of keys, which meant a lot of spirits she'd have to get along with and learn how to train with.

After a few minutes, Priscilla handed the napkin to Lucy. "While I do say practice every day, you also need to know when to get your rest and when to eat. When your knees feel week and you start feeling dizzy, it's time to stop training and eat something."

Lucy nodded at the explanation. She stuffed the napkin in her shirt pocket.

"I need to get back to my family," Priscilla said with a smile, "and I'm sure you need to get back to your little groupies."

Lucy laughed.

"Let's get together again sometime, okay? I live right next to the welding shop, so just stop by whenever you can. Promise I'll see you again, Lucy?"

"You bet. But Priscilla?" she paused. "I'm in a group of pirates, so I'm not sure… when I'll come back to this island."

"Pirates?" Priscilla looked incredulous for a second. "Just like your mother, I see."

"She was in a pirate crew?"

"No, she was in a guild, but a lot of guilds are just as rowdy as pirates," she laughed. "Just make sure you come back."

With that, Priscilla was gone. Lucy regretted not asking which guild she'd been in.

* * *

"I can't believe you spied on me that entire time," Lucy swatted Pantherlily for maybe the tenth time. The Exceed held onto his injured butt for dear life.

"Gajeel told me to."

Lucy frowned. "Wait till I get my hands on that guy."

* * *

"Hey, where do you get off sending your creepy little cat to follow me!" Lucy shouted as she stepped onto the step. Pantherlily deflated and Happy came up to pat him sympathetically on the back. "No, actually, Lily's not the creepy one, _you're_ the creepy one for sending him after me."

The brownish Exceed grinned and perked up. "Yeah! You creep!" he yelled, flying up and letting his tail curl around Lucy.

Gajeel's eyebrow twitched. "Lily, what the hell?"

"Sorry. I don't consort with creeps," Lily crossed his arms playfully.

Gajeel's shoulders slumped slightly and he balled his fists and jammed them in his pockets. "I just sent him along because," he paused, looking for an excuse as the blonde's glare tore his resolve to not tell her he was worried. "Because Natsu was worried sick."

She perked up, a little shocked. "Natsu was worried?"

"I was not!" Natsu called, his face a pinkish color.

"Yeah, right, that's why you begged me to send Pantherlily," Gajeel teased. It was like steam came out of Natsu's ears.

"You want to fight?!" he shouted.

"Okay, the testosterone level is getting too high," Lucy complained, letting it go and walking into the kitchen.

"Lucy!" Levy greeted with a big ole' smile. "Did you have fun with your old-lady-friend?"

Lucy laughed. "She's not that old. And yeah. I actually learned a lot about my mom, and myself."

"Yourself?" Levy was skeptical. Lucy nodded.

"You're the only person I'm telling now, so don't tell anyone just yet, I want everyone to know at dinner."

Levy nodded.

"It turns out, my mother was a Celestial mage, and she passed down her keys to me. Now I'm responsible for taking care of her keys and spirits, and training with them to get stronger."

Levy's eyes twinkled. "I knew those were Celestial Keys!"

Lucy's brow furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to, but I kept getting distracted! Sorry." Levy frowned.

"It's okay," Lucy said. "What was with Pantherlily following me, though?"

"Oh, well Natsu looked pretty worried, and it looked like Gajeel was ticked about it, too, so he sent Lily after you," Levy explained, unknowingly butchering Natsu and Gajeel's reputations. "They do that to me, too. I know you're kind of angry, but they're just trying to make sure you're safe."

Lucy slumped. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

With that, the new Celestial Mage knew just that much more about her mother, herself, but most importantly, her crew.

* * *

That night, Lucy took out the napkin she had put on her dresser, laid down and read the names of all the spirits. She was happy to be their new mage, and she hoped they liked her, too.

She was a little surprised when she saw the note scrawled on the other side of the crumpled napkin, though.

_Lucy,_ it read, _Beware of your father and his dark guild. It is called Layla's Memory. It's just like any regular guild that takes requests from civilians, but it's also dedicated to getting rid of any trace of your mother, Layla. _

_Probably the only reason you're alive right now is that if you went missing as a child, he would certainly be put to death for suspicion killing his own child. Now that you're gone, though, and of marriageable age, he'll be able to get rid of you once and for all._

Lucy frowned and sat up, getting closer to the light of her candle so she wouldn't have to strain her eyes.

_Still, bless his aching heart, because everything about him that I told you is true. He was once a very loving man until Layla died. Please do not resent him for this. Maybe you can coax him into the will to live with the little memory of Layla he has left. _

_Jude is not a bad man, and Layla is someone who should be remembered forever, please help him see that._

_I really do hope I live to see you again, but your father knows that I was once Layla's best friend. I hope he doesn't get to me before I see you married with children. -Priscilla_

She drew a little smiley face next to the 'married with children' part. Lucy blushed, not being able to stop herself from imagining Natsu as her husband with rowdy little kids running around a nice house.

Everyone knew she was a Celestial Mage, now, so they would let her fight if they ever had to fight Layla's Memory. Though she was happy about that, she wasn't happy about causing trouble for her crew.

But she would wait until tomorrow to tell them.

* * *

**A/N: REVIEW IF I AM WORTHY. D:**

**-Amaya**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Eeeeeeeeey sweet babies! :D So, things kind of actually get moving in this chapter again, but it's going to slow down a little bit for fluff in the next couple of chapters. Also, hurt/comfort coming up, too. **

**Also, hey. Pretty early update, eh? Mm? Mm? How bout it? It's only been 14 days. c: You liiike? You liiikey duh update?  
**

**Okay, one more thing before we get on down to business. If ever you REALLY want a response to your reviews, please do tell, because I always check my reviews on my iPod touch (3rd Gen, 'case you were wondering) so I like... you know, really don't want to reply to reviews from there. ._.  
so uhh... Yeah. IF you DO want a reply, I'll probs actually take the time to get on teh computer and respond. **

**Anyway, ENJOY TEH CHAPTER!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine:**

"Lucy, it's time to _wake up_!"

The voice was Levy's, but the blond girl couldn't help but faintly imagine June calling her, fiddling with her belongings as Lucy tried her damndest to get out of bed.

"Maybe she's not feeling well," Mirajane suggested. The tiny woman was adamant.

"No. She's just not a morning person," Levy reasoned, clearly not happy to spend a day without her new friend, Lucy.

"Yes, that's true," Wendy's innocent voice chimed, "but it normally doesn't take this much to wake her."

"No, she's just not a morning person," Levy repeated. Erza stepped up and felt Lucy's forehead with her knuckle.

"Burning," she muttered. "We'll let her sleep in today."

* * *

Levy was clearly sulking at the breakfast table, but the look Erza had sent her that morning was enough to keep her quiet.

Wendy and Mirajane were playing with their food worriedly, but the rest just went out as though nothing was out of order.

For a while, anyway.

It was unnaturally cold, Natsu realized. He looked up from his omu-rice and around the table. His crew mates were bull-shitting as per usual, but something didn't feel right.

"Where is Lucy?" he suddenly asked as if noticing out loud that she was gone.

Levy sighed. Erza spoke.

"She was burning up this morning."

Natsu's perverted side couldn't help but imagine her in lacy undies, face nice and flushed. Within a moment his face matched his hair.

"Fevered, I mean," she shot the dragonslayer a look. He looked down at his lap in response. Gajeel smirked knowingly at the salmon haired young man.

"So she's sick?" Gray chimed.

"That's the general idea, dumbass," Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"When will she get better?" Natsu asked. Erza shrugged, her armor crackling against itself at the movement.

"She simply needs rest, which means," Mirajane continued for the red head, "we won't raid at all until she gets better."

Gajeel deflated at this before continuing to eat, albeit a little slower. The rest didn't say anything, either, because when regarding someone's health, Mira's word was law.

All of a sudden, there was a huge crash. They froze.

Except for Natsu.

The moment the vibrations stopped, he ran to the other side of the ship to check for damages.

He didn't realize he was sliding until he looked over to see the boat tilting slightly.

In the direction of the girl's rooms.

'Lucy,' he thought, abandoning all thoughts of ship damages.

The moment he opened the trap door, all he saw was rushing water and exotic fish being forced into the boat.

"Lucy!" he dove into the water, not thinking about being caught in the current going, though slowing, into the ship. The other crew members dove into the water to look as well.

It seemed like hours had passed, yet Natsu finally spotted Lucy near the floor of the shallow sea they were sailing in. Clearly she had never learned how to swim, because she was passed out.

The water wasn't cold, Natsu noted, but he'd still have to get the rest of the crew to safety if they were going to survive this. His mind was racing, but he soon realized there was no time to worry.

A large creature was swimming toward Lucy. It was only a silhouette. He couldn't see the definite shape.

One moment he was studying the amoeba-like shadow, and the next, Lucy was gone. Bubbles swam up from his nose as he began to panic. He slapped his hand over his mouth and swam to the surface.

He didn't allow himself to look anywhere or do anything. He just took a much needed breath and went back down, ignoring the cries of 'Natsu!' as he swam.

Out of the corner of his eye, he kept seeing Lucy's blond hair, but when he swam in that direction, nothing would be there. He was quickly running out of oxygen so he stopped and looked around, to see something stirring out of the corner of his eye again.

He turned and swam that way, and this time he could distinguish the shadow in the darkness of the sea.

Bubbles swam up from that direction and he knew that this person, or thing, would not last much longer under the surface. Natsu swam faster, his hand outstretching to reach for Lucy. She wasn't awake, he knew, but he wanted to grab a hold of her, just to be safe.

Finally, her soft, now-prune-like fingers were in his grasp, and he held on for dear life.

A force landed on his face, and he squeezed tighter, his other hand clutching his face from the pain.

The water pressure wasn't high, so the attacker could fight almost as fast as Natsu could. But the dragonslayer didn't think about this, and started throwing punches with his right hand while hanging onto Lucy with his left.

He'd only hit him twice when the attacker started swimming to the surface, limbs a flurry of panic. Natsu was grateful, until he got to the top and the attacker started pushing on his head of pink hair to keep him below the surface. He forcefully grabbed the hand pushing him and twisted it, hearing a muffled crack, and then a scream.

He took another breath the moment he got to the top before being punched.

Natsu didn't even get to fight before the man was ambushed by Elfman who punched and punched until the man was passed out and began sinking to the sea floor. Meanwhile Natsu swam Lucy away from the scene to a nearby piece of their ship.

That's all that was left; pieces. There was no sign of what the S.S. Natsu's Ship might once have been, besides their scattered belongings.

The other crew members were hopping from piece to piece, avoiding the cannonballs being shot at them and fighting attackers who had been daring enough to jump into the water to fight face to face.

"They're pointless! Let's go and -" Natsu's ears pricked as some of the opponents began arguing on whether to keep firing or not. He hoped they didn't.

Beckoning Wendy, who was floating on a nearby piece looking pretty beat up, he started floating Lucy toward her. Wendy got off her board and started swimming to Lucy.

"You watch her until she wakes up, and do that kissing-thing Erza does whenever one of us starts drowning."

"CPR?" Wendy raised an innocent brow.

"Yeah, whatever," Natsu shrugged and started swimming to help his comrades.

Wendy did as she was told, shuddering a little when Lucy spat warm water into her mouth and sat up, coughing unrelentingly, accidentally knocking Wendy off.

Lucy's head was foggy, and all she registered was there was unbearable pain in her lungs. However, soon, her head began to clear, and she realized that Wendy was shivering in the water, looking at her worriedly. She moved over slightly, watching as Wendy quickly grabbed the board so that it wouldn't tip.

"What the hell is going on?" Lucy finally said, her voice cracking hoarsely.

"These other pirates are attacking us. I'm not really sure what I could do without hurting the rest of the crew."

Lucy nodded understandingly, looking around, wondering what she could do. She hesitatingly spoke.

"I don't… know how to swim. Will you teach me really quick?"

Wendy raised a brow, but led Lucy into the water. Immediately her limbs felt like jelly. The water wasn't cold, but she started panicking over the temperature anyway.

"Chill," Wendy deadpanned, bracing Lucy's arms. "Watch my legs."

The blond looked down to see the shadow of Wendy's slender legs, getting used to the now-warm water. They were kicking constantly, relaxed. Then she looked at her own legs, shuddering, but nearly still. She started kicking.

"It's all in the kick," Wendy continued. "If you know how to kick, you know how to swim."

It wasn't much of a lesson, but somehow, Wendy was a very good teacher. Lucy understood.

"Now try to lie on your bel-" Wendy started, only to choke on some water when she was struck in the back by an opponent Lucy hadn't seen. Her eyes narrowed and she started toward him, swimming even though she hadn't been told how to, yet.

"Hey, wise guy, get your loser-crew-mates and get out of here if you know what's good for you!" Lucy spat. He smirked.

"I'm so scared!" he laughed. Lucy didn't waste a moment before she drew back and struck him in his wide open mouth, knocking out a tooth or two. "Little bitch!"

Suddenly, one of Lucy's keys began glowing as her fury grew. It raised above all the other keys. A wave flew over the man trying to hurt her, and he screamed for a single moment before he was pushed downward by the water.

Without hesitation, she took off her necklace of keys and held up her glowing one. It was almost as if she subconsciously knew everything about her spirits, because she bellowed, "_Open, Gate of the Water Bearer_!"

The key began to crackle with life in her hands. "_Aquarius_!"

All the crew mates looked at her in awe as the key shone with light, and from it emerged the most beautiful sea creature they had ever seen, holding a decorative urn, with a fury in her eyes. The seas began stirring and pumping its water, and within a single moment, Aquarius began knocking down men, friend or foe.

"_Celestial Mage_," Aquarius called, looking for who had summoned her. "Where are you? I have slept for so long."

Lucy shakily raised her hand. "Here…"

Aquarius smirked. "Look at this pathetic being."

Lucy's face contorted into a scowl, and she was about to give this _Aquarius_ a piece of her mind, until Priscilla's voice invaded her thoughts. '_I expect you to treat these spirits with respect, even if they're mean to you._'

"I'm the one who summoned you," she said weakly. "My friends were in trouble. I'm sorry if I - disturbed you."

Aquarius raised a smug brow. "Look at you. I bet you don't even have a boyfriend."

Lucy blushed and looked down. "Shut up!" she snapped impulsively. Aquarius simply laughed, though somewhere beneath the unkind exterior, she heard some sort of affection.

"What shall I call you? Loner?" Aquarius asked.

"What's your problem?!" Lucy snapped as she climbed unsteadily onto a board. "And it's Lucy!"

"Well, then, _Lucy_, seeing as how I was on a date with my _boyfriend_, I think I'm justified to be a little angry."

"Wow, she's pretty!" Gray looked up at the goddess-like spirit. Lucy frowned.

"That being said," Aquarius continued, looking down her nose at Gray, "what day is it Lucy?"

"…Thursday?"

"That's right. It's Thursday. I will only be summoned on Wednesday. Do you understand?"

Lucy scowled, jumping slightly when a contract and a feathered pen appeared in front of her.

She didn't take the time to read it before signing.

"If ever you need my help on a Wednesday, feel free to avoid calling me," Aquarius spat. The moment Lucy's pen lifted from the thick paper, the beautiful spirit disappeared.

"Lucy, that was awesome!" Natsu shouted, splashing around in the water.

"Aye!" Happy agreed cheerfully. Erza shook her head.

"We should start swimming, now. Lucy, do you have any spirits that will aid us in this quest to find land?" Erza asked.

Lucy shrugged, looking around to see that there was no land as far as the eye could see.

And it was lunch time.

Her stomach growled. She hastily brought the necklace grasped in her left hand to eye level, then brought out her list of the spirits. She scanned it to find most of them not very helpful sounding. Except for one.

"Open, Gate of the Compass, _Pyxis_!" she chanted, holding up his key, though she found herself tired from summoning Aquarius. It shook beneath her fingers, and a smaller, yet familiar light came. The next moment it was gone, and in its place was a flying compass that looked much like a penguin.

She expected it to say something like 'reporting for duty,' or something like that but it simply flew in one spot, staring at her cheerfully.

"Uh…" Lucy frowned. "Can you tell me where we are?"

Pyxis didn't do anything.

Lucy scuffed her shoe on the piece of board. "Can you point to the nearest island?"

Unlike it would have normally done which is point its wings toward where she was speaking of, the compass on his head began spinning and he flew in the direction it stopped.

When Lucy didn't follow, he stopped and turned around.

"I think we're supposed to follow it," Gajeel remarked. Lucy nodded before easing herself into the water and swimming awkwardly toward it. The others followed her.

* * *

**A/N: Kind of a dumb place to end it, but screw you. c:**

**It looks like the next couple chapters are going to be about this length so uh... hmm. If you don't like it, I hope you pee your pants. :D Okay, until next time!**

**-Amaya**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: WAAAH LOOK AT WHAT I'M DOING I'M UPDATING. Also I'm eating frosted mini wheats. I felt this was relevant. c: Enjoydisstuff.**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

Lucy felt like they had been swimming for hours. Even the boys were beginning to get tired - and they were always energetic.

Levy was on Gray's back, Wendy was on Natsu's, and Lucy was considering asking Gajeel if he would carry her the rest of the way.

The blond, at first had wondered if they would be okay in the water. 'Wouldn't it be too cold?' she wondered. But when she saw the outline of the island they were swimming to, she knew they were in the tropics where the temperature of the seas was considerably warmer.

She was breathing hard, her limbs were sore, her lungs burned, and she was sweating. She had been in the water for almost an hour now, so it wasn't helping in cooling her down any.

Luckily for her, Pyxis stopped flying forward and flitted to Lucy, emitting bird-like noises. She tiredly looked up to see they had finally arrived at the dock.

"…Hhhheeee_eeeeeey_!" she said excitedly as Natsu began to swim faster to land. She followed suit.

"Alright, you're on your own, kid," Gray threw Levy off, swimming much faster than he had been swimming before. He earned a pout from Levy who tried to catch up with Lucy.

The Celestial Mage finally dragged herself onto land, soaking in the feeling of solid ground.

Right as Natsu let Wendy off of his back, he began throwing up. 'Compared to the water,' he thought, 'land is so different!' His head was pounding and his stomach was turning. If not for Erza, he would have fallen into his own waste.

"I'm never swimming _again_!" Gray complained.

Gajeel followed suit. "I'm so angry that I had to do that."

"That sucked so bad."

One after another, the complaints came. They all lay on the ground like dead fish, save for the Exceed who simply flew the entire way there.

Lucy listened to the sorrows of her crew mates. One moment she was watching the sand gently blow by, the next, she was asleep.

* * *

Lucy awoke, fisting something soft, to the smell of cooked venison. She'd never had the stuff, and her mouth watered at the scent.

"Wake up Lucy," she heard faintly. She willed herself to sit up, but her muscles wouldn't allow her.

"Sore…" she whispered. "That's enough exercise for a couple years."

A breathy chuckle at her statement reverberated slightly in the room. Lucy was too sore to get up and look around, but she did open her eyes. No one _seemed_ to be there.

She knew there was, though, when a calloused hand touched her bare shoulder.

"Are you awake?" a voice whispered.

"No," she replied, snuggling closer into the wool blanket.

"Natsu, light a fire!" Gray demanded. "I'm chillin' my nips off over here!"

Natsu scowled. "Light your own damn fire."

"Up yours, f-"

"Are you two fighting?" Lucy heard Erza say from the kitchen.

"…No," Gray said after a moment of silence.

"That's good. Natsu, light a fire," Erza commanded. The dragonslayer was quick to do as he was told.

Warmth engulfed Lucy. Natsu's fire, seemingly hotter than that of the sun, kept the whole room warm, and more.

"Did you wake up Lucy?" Erza asked. Natsu didn't answer, and instead went to Lucy's bedside. She felt one side of the bed sink down slightly.

"Luce, time to get up," his voice was softer than before, almost like he was trying to gently ease her into complete consciousness.

"No," she said simply. Natsu's hand on her back jolted her slightly. Her stomach growled. He chuckled.

"C'mon. Breakfast is almost ready. Let's go."

She huffed and stayed in place rather than getting up to eat.

Natsu began to move his calloused hand up and down her back. Lucy was warm, he decided. And she smelled nice, too. Also, her skin was soft. And her hair was pretty. _And_ - well, there were a lot of things he liked about Lucy.

"Natsu…" she whispered, and he blushed slightly until she continued. "I'm not getting up. Go away."

"What's this?" Pantherlily came and curled his tail about Natsu's form. "A romantic moment, mayhaps?"

Happy came in and did the same. "He _liiiiiiikes_ her."

Natsu hardly paid attention and opted to start shaking Lucy a little more urgently. Her brow furrowed and she scooted away from him. At this, his eyes narrowed, but then he smiled and began pushing her.

Lucy began clawing at the bed when she came to the edge of it, but Natsu persisted until she felt the bed slip out from underneath her. She managed to hit her head on the nightstand on the way down.

"Ouch…" she groaned, listening to the crackling noises her back made. Instead of getting up like Natsu expected her to, she turned over and closed her eyes.

He frowned stupidly. "Hey! Stop sleeping, right now!"

Lucy grunted lightly.

Finally, he decided to pick her up and carry her to the table. She had to wake up when there was food in front of her, didn't she?

It was the perfect plan, Natsu decided, so he gathered to Celestial Mage into his arms, who huffed and squirmed at the change in level. When she hit the chair at the kitchen table, she sank her head to the surface of it.

"She has to wake up when the food is done. She hasn't eaten in almost an entire day."

Lucy's eyes shot open, and she sat up. "An entire day? How long was I out? Where are we?" she paused. "Is there coffee?"

A cup was immediately placed in front of her along with cream and sugar. If she were blind folded, she would have thought Fairy Tail was a dream and that she was still at her manor being pampered.

"You were out for about…" Wendy paused, "twenty-one hours."

"Geez."

"We left you in Mirajane's care while the rest of us went to rob someone for some money."

At this, Natsu visibly deflated. Lucy immediately placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's up?"

He got up and walked out of the room, stopping the ruckus of the other boys. The blond looked at Levy questioningly.

"When the ship was destroyed, we lost all of the money we had gathered. The sea was shallow, true, but we'll never be able to gather all of the money we had. It's almost like we're starting over." The blue haired woman sighed. "And we don't even have a ship anymore."

"I really liked that ship," Wendy mimicked her.

Lucy's eyes furrowed. She never knew Makarov, but his happiness seemed to be the very drive of Fairy Tail. She considered going to comfort Natsu, but decided he should be alone, at least for a little while.

Happy must have decided this, too, though the Exceed stared at the door every few moments.

"Okay, breakfast is ready," Mirajane announced. "Grilled venison, eggs, and shredded potatoes!"

"What is this island called?" Lucy wondered as the rest of them sat down to eat.

"Hargeon," the rest of Fairy Tail answered in unison.

Lucy hummed in response before digging in. It wasn't very satisfying without Natsu there.

* * *

"Blisters, blisters, blisters!" Lucy shouted as they walked the streets of the antique Hargeon, looking for clothes.

"We won't be much longer," Erza assured her. Already they had gathered armfuls upon armfuls of shopping bags and they were still shopping. At first Lucy had been enjoying herself, but she was wearing some not-very-sensible shoes of Levy's, whose feet were smaller than hers.

"What time's it?" Lucy wondered, straightening her back, hoping for it to pop. Levy glanced at her little pink panda watch.

"It's 1:43 in the afternoon."

She wanted to complain about how they had been shopping for four hours straight, and how her feet were sore, and how it was hot, and she was hungry, and her clothes smelled like water that had been shat in, but she stayed quiet. Lucy was beyond the point of complaining now.

Lucy crossed her empty arms, briefly glancing at the pink Fairy Tail brand that now marked her right hand.

"Ready to stop being a pussy and start carrying some bags?" Levy teased, tossing a few at her. She caught them, luckily, though the streets of Hargeon _were_ well kept.

"I wonder who those guys were," Wendy wondered out loud. The rest of them froze slightly, knowing she was talking about the crew they had been attacked by two days before, but then continued walking.

"Probably just a bunch-a jealous pirates. We're the coolest pirates on the sea. Everybody knows that," Mirajane smiled proudly.

"We are?" Lucy asked. Levy looked over at Lucy.

"We have bounties at least. But ever since … we're not as famous as we were." It became taboo to mention the attack that killed most of their crew, but they would make an exception this time.

The word famous sparked something in Lucy's memory, and suddenly she remembered what she was supposed to have told them about _Layla's Memory_.

Her brow furrowed, and she started walking a little slower and biting her cuticles. This did not go unnoticed by Charle.

"Lucy seems to be troubled," the well-groomed Exceed frowned. The others turned toward her expectantly, and immediately, Charle looked apologetic.

"Uh, well. Do you remember when I went to see Priscilla the other day?" she started shakily. Levy put her hand on her hip, some of the bags sliding down her arm.

"We're not old coots. We can remember more than what we had for breakfast this morning."

"What _did_ we have for breakfast this morning?" Wendy put a finger to her lips. Levy ignored the young girl.

"Go on Lucy, tell us," Mirajane's face looked so reassuring, so motherly, so… comforting, that it all just spilled out.

"Well, after she told me about the Celestial Keys, she told me about this guild my dad started after my mother died. He, um…" she paused, gathering her bearings and taking a breath. "She said that he -"

Lucy didn't realize she was fighting back tears until Levy came up and wrapped an arm around her. The tiny girl began to cry with Lucy, though she didn't know why they were crying.

"Priscilla said that he was trying to erase all memory of my mother, and that he was probably going to try to kill her, too. Then she said that he would probably come after me - so…" she breathed a breath she didn't realize she was evading, "so those guys yesterday might have been Layla's Memory. That's the name of the guild."

"Why wouldn't you have told us that earlier?" Erza asked. Mirajane looked at the red head sternly.

"It was bed time when I remembered - I didn't want to disturb anyone," the blond wiped her tears away. "I never would have guessed they would attack the very next _day."_

Erza's eyes softened affectionately. This was enough for Lucy's eyes to water again.

"Lucy we're not mad at you. You couldn't have known they were going to attack so soon," the Titania reassured, slowing down to step with Lucy.

This came as a relief to Lucy, and now that it was off her chest, she really felt like sleeping.

* * *

**A/N: Dumb place to stop it at, but eat shit. c: After I edited this, I was like "I don't even remember writing this."  
I suppose that's a sign I should update sooner. HA. **

**-Amaya**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Wa-hogh! What's this? I'm updating before a month of not updating is up? Well, pretty much you guys deserve it for being such faithful readers. T-T ENJOOOOY. Also, I wanted to get this chapter up, because I thought that I haven't been giving you guise much NaLu fluff.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: **

As planned, the girls came back and Mirajane began making dinner, though it was about two hours earlier than she should have begun. The rest of them started putting clothes away as it looked like they were going to be staying here until they could get some means of transportation.

The air seemed tense. All of them wondered how long it would take to raise the money they had before. No doubt Beelzebub would be out of their reach for a decade or more, now.

This wasn't helping Lucy feel any better about not telling them about Layla's Memory, even though they assured her that it was fine. She felt like she had betrayed them somehow.

Dinner was nearly finished when Gray and Gajeel stumbled in with Natsu in tow. He was bleeding from the mouth and nose and was carrying what looked like a ski mask in one of his hands, but the two others had sacks of something on their backs, too. Happy and Pantherlily were behind them with identical sacks.

"How did this happen?" Erza asked. "Did I not tell you to lay low?"

At this, Natsu snapped.

All the intensity of losing the treasury, losing his crew mates, and not being respected as captain collapsed onto him, and a low, guttural, _actually_ animalistic sounding growl could be heard from him from the entire building inhabitants.

"Last time I checked, Makarov appointed _me_ to be captain, not _you_!" he shouted with conviction. Erza looked taken aback, just as the others did. The room fell silent. Then, with as much dignity as he could gather, he walked out, restraining the limp he had required from his leg being stomped on.

Lucy wanted more than anything to give him some time alone to sort his thoughts out, but after seeing the look of sorrow, the look of regret in his eyes, she couldn't bring herself to leave him alone.

She ran after him.

* * *

"Well, I'll just pack away their dinner for later. Happy, come help me?" Mirajane chimed in cheerfully. The mood seemed to brighten slightly. Happy smiled and flew to her.

"Fish for dinner tonight?"

"Sorry, no. But I'll make some for tomorrow's dinner, how does that sound?"

Happy rubbed his little tummy with his paw and hummed. "Aye!"

They all tried to make do without Lucy and Natsu.

* * *

The Celestial Mage ran and ran, but Natsu was so _fast_. She could hardly keep track of him. Every so often she'd have to guess where he'd turned in the city by instinct, and she had no idea where she was going.

"Natsu?!" she called, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Natsu!"

She stopped to regain her breath when she realized he had stopped at an abandoned villa. He was hanging onto a railing to a wishing fountain and looking into it.

"What is wrong with you?" she panted. "Couldn't you slow down for just a few seconds?!"

Natsu didn't crack a smile like he usually might have.

"I'm supposed to be back at the inn, stuffing my face!" she continued, coughing a little. Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"Then why did you chase me?"

At his stern tone of voice, Lucy stiffened. She was still breathing a little hard, and she held her abdomen for comfort to her lungs, but she sat next to him on the railing he was leaning on. She coughed again.

"Because what kind of friend would I be if I just left you to suffer alone?" she finally said. The sun was beginning to set, and the orange-y light reflected against her fair skin beautifully.

Natsu huffed in response. "I don't know. A bad one."

Lucy smiled slightly.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, Lucy occasionally looking over to watch Natsu draw circles in the water. Eventually, he cupped his hands for some and washed the blood from his face.

"What happened? Who'd you start a fight with?" she asked. Natsu chuckled bitterly.

"How are you so sure I started the fight?" Lucy gave him an exasperated look. Indeed, though she had only known Natsu for a couple of months, she now knew him like the back of her hand.

"I was…going to rob this guy, actually. A wealthy guy, pretty much the ruler of this island. But I got caught, and I was alone at the time, and I got beat up. I was actually smart enough to wear a long sleeved shirt and a mask - but anyway, one of them stomped on my leg.

"Happy flew in at that point and carried me off - lucky for me. Then… I guess Gajeel and Gray used that distraction to rob the guy anyway."

Lucy was silent for a moment before saying, smiling, "You'll have to thank Happy when you cool down, then."

Natsu smiled, though it was a little weak. He really did love his Exceed friend.

"You didn't make a fool of yourself." Natsu stiffened at this. "Actually, now that you said what you did, maybe they understand you a little more. Maybe they'll even start to respect you, though it is going to take some time."

Lucy paused, putting a comforting hand on his back and wiping a smear of blood off his cheek. "You don't need to rush to get that money back. It's going to take time. Sure, we can hurry it up a little bit, but we have to be clever about it. If we don't, then we'll just end up getting beat up every other day. We just have to be patient and sly about it."

Natsu tilted his head, as if to say, 'True.'

"And about Erza," she rubbed little circles on his shoulder blade to soothe his nerves. "I know she doesn't really mean to _steal_ the title of captain from you." She could tell Natsu wanted to interrupt, to say that the title wasn't what was important, but at the last second he decided to hear her out.

Lucy continued. "She once told me that she thinks of you guys like her little brothers. She just doesn't want you guys to get hurt."

Natsu exhaled, a knot untwisting in his stomach at this. _'Lucy is really good at understanding people,'_ he thought.

"I know I wasn't there," Lucy continued. "For… that, but I think she's just being so careful so that won't happen again."

Natsu nodded. The attack the other day had scared the living daylights out of him to be honest. He wondered how the others must be feeling about it.

"And with a crew this little, now… well, we all have to stick together and agree on everything somehow. Compromise. It's like… we're a family."

Natsu smiled at this. It was like that, wasn't it?

The dragonslayer turned around and sat on the ground, his back against the antique railing. Lucy did the same, her hand landing on his. He stiffened again, and she looked over at him, her face coloring slightly.

She didn't move her hand.

Natsu grinned and looked away, ears pink. He hadn't felt this damn giddy in years. He shakily turned his hand to grasp hers, wondering if she would pull away.

No, Lucy simply kept her hand where it was as Natsu's hand, nearly twice the size of hers, wrapped its warmth around her own. They stayed that way until they decided to go back to the inn, about twenty minutes later.

When they exited the villa, their hands parted, though they could feel the ghost of the warmth of the other's still just within their grasp.

* * *

The hotel room the girls stayed in was adjoined to the boys room. Everyone was asleep.

Except one beautiful red haired woman, who sat up unclothed in bed, sheet just barely covering her bare breast. She opened her small dresser that was chock full of clothing and put on her underwear, some fabric shorts and a tank top.

She looked around, studying her friends. The blond haired girl and the small haired Rune Mage were sharing a bed, though they had their own, because of the thunderstorm, which was onw that should not have happened since the weather seemed to be beginning to shift drastically to a winter-like season. Lucy wasn't afraid, but unbeknownst to anyone else but the girls, Levy was terrified of the thunder and lightning. Gajeel didn't even know.

Wendy was snuggled up next to Charle whose tail was wrapped protectively over the girl's legs. Mirajane was sleeping quite soundly, situated under the covers just as she had been all night.

The sound of Elfman's snores and sleep talks reverberated throughout the chambers. "Cotton candy! That's manly…." she heard briefly.

She smiled slightly. She was so lucky to have this crew.

All night, Erza hadn't been able to sleep. When she finished dressing, she quietly made her way to the boys' dormitory. She sneaked in and went to Natsu's bedside. He appeared to be sleeping, but when she knelt next to him, he asked, "What's up?" without opening his eyes.

She hesitated, listening to the sound of his breathing. "I just wanted to apologize. You're completely right," she sighed. "I was… out of line. I'm not captain - but I just…"

'Why is this so hard?' she wondered.

"I get it," Natsu stated. Erza jumped, not expecting him to say anything. She expected him to add more, but that's all he said.

"Natsu… are you angry with me?" she wondered. He smiled a little.

"If you buy me some fire food tomorrow, I won't be."

"You sly dog," she chuckled as quietly as she could.

"It's fine," Natsu started, sitting up slightly. "But from now on we _agree_ on what we should do, and _I _decide what's best for us."

It was the first time he had ever used his authoritative voice on her, and she respected him for that. The red haired woman nodded.

"Agreed."

They shook hands, and with that, Erza crawled back into bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

**A/N: So yep. There it is. Not much more to say. c:**

**-Amaya**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: WHOOOOOAAA WHAT'S THEEESS?! A SECOND chapter, in ONE day? Witchcraft!  
Yeah, but no. I'm getting kind of bored of this story so I'm trying to write it quickly before I lose interest and it becomes all shitty and forced. But that doesn't mean extra updates! (You sly dogs.) Onope! I still get to update whenever I want. (AUTHOR AUTHORITY, EAT SHEEIT.) c: Enjoy dis chappychapchap.**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS A SLIGHTLY HIGHER RATING THAN OTHERS. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.**

* * *

**C****hapter 12:**

"Again?" Mirajane's brow furrowed in worry.

Gajeel dragged Natsu into the hotel room. They were both beat up pretty bad.

"Ouch," Natsu said emotionlessly when Gajeel dropped him on the ground in favor of going to get something to drink.

After the attack, Layla's Memory, the dark guild that Lucy's father created, had easily found their location. Now, every other time one of them went out, they ended up getting in a scrap with the enemy.

"Where's dinner?" Natsu asked as Lucy and Levy began dragging the dragonslayer to one of the girls' beds.

"You don't need to worry about that right now," Lucy said, the edge of her lip twitching in exasperation.

It looked like they had gotten dirty and pulled a knife on the two dragonslayers, and though Natsu and Erza agreed they shouldn't so as not to draw attention to their presence, the two had been forced to use their magic to get out of the fight.

The pink haired young man wasn't hurt too badly, though, and for that, Lucy was thankful.

"_Luuuu-shiii_!" Natsu cried. "Hungry!"

"How?! You _just_ ate before you left!"

"That was like an _hour_ ago!"

Lucy could not help but smile affectionately at him, even as she rolled her eyes. He was so annoying, yet he made her laugh. She wondered how that was.

The bed closest to the door happened to be Lucy's - the one that still smelled of sea salt after almost an entire month.

Natsu bled on her sheets, but Lucy didn't much care. It didn't take the two girls long to bandage Natsu's not-very-serious wounds, but by the time they had been tied off, the fire mage was already asleep.

Levy went to clean up the supplies, but Lucy stayed at his bedside - or rather, her bedside, and watched the steady rise and falls of his chest. She almost laughed as a string of drool escaped from his lips.

She had played it off like all was fine and she wasn't worried, but she had actually been terrified for Natsu. Though she reasoned that Natsu was the strongest man she had ever met, by opinion, taking into consideration his heart, spirit, _and_ physical fitness, she couldn't help but be scared for him. He was so reckless, and she cared about him _so_ much.

The Celestial Mage wanted to tell him that, but she couldn't bring herself to wake him up.

When Lucy finally looked away, Levy was there with a smirk on her face. For a second, she thought she might pull a Happy and say, 'You _liiiiiikeee_ him!'

"What?" the blond asked expectantly.

The rune mage just put her hands on her hips smugly and walked away, saying, "Nothin'."

Lucy got up slowly so as not to wake Natsu, but the dragonslayer was quick to stir. She froze in place and looked back. He was still sleeping, so she continued, tearing her eyes away from his sleeping form.

* * *

Natsu's naïve eyes opened wide the moment he began to emerge into the limbo between sleep and consciousness. He'd always had a habit of waking himself up right then. Since he usually woke up from the dream of the blond haired girl, he tried to wake up as quick as he could, so as no one would see him choking up.

He was lying on his back looking at the textured ceiling. He hadn't dreamt much in his slumber. All the slayer remembered were peach-colored hands that seemed to caress him all over the place. It was when he registered this that he realized he was sweating and panting slightly. He shook his head, as if to get rid of the bits and pieces of the dream

Natsu could hear the breaths of all of his crew mates from where he was, except for one, but he was too sleepy to realize that. He turned over and snuggled into the pillow for a moment, eyes closing, before realizing he wasn't in his own bed.

His eyes snapped open, though his nostrils instinctively flared at the inviting smell of the vanilla lotion Lucy put on every morning. There was also a musky smell, as though some nights she had gone to sleep so exhausted that she hadn't bathed like she had that morning.

The salmon haired man was tempted to just stay there and scent her, bury his nose in her sheets and try to ignore the salty smell of the sea, but after a few moments, he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. No doubt the only thing different about his regular hairdo and his bed hair was that with the latter, his hair was in his eyes.

He didn't take the time to push it back lazily like he normally would upon waking up.

The cuts and bruises littering his body ached, and breathing was hard to come by. Those girls had wrapped him pretty tight in bandages - presumably, he had a cracked rib, and that was the best they could do for him.

Ears pricked a twitched slightly, picking out each and every one of his comrades' breathing. He'd trained himself to know which was which - it didn't take long to add Lucy when she had joined.

That's why it seemed like that one breath was missing, so he took off from the hotel.

The moment he stepped outside, goose bumps rose all over his body. He was only wearing his usual vest, having forgone a regular shirt that morning. His teeth immediately began chattering from the low temperature. The peaks on his bare chest hardened like ice. Wind swirled furiously around him. It was a very cold night.

Why would Lucy choose a night like this to come out?

Natsu's numbing legs began to move a little quicker. He jammed his fists in his pockets and burrowed his chin into Igneel's scarf. He couldn't feel his body as vividly as he could before, but he kept walking.

He wasn't sure where he was going, but every time the sound of a movement caught his attention, he looked up, disappointed when Lucy wasn't there.

The dragonslayer was panicking now, but he kept a cool face. He considered going back to the hotel and telling the rest of Fairy Tail to grab a coat and start searching.

Unless Lucy just went to the bathroom? He tried to reason with himself, but no, he would have heard her breaths if she had just been in the bathroom, since they had paid for the only room with an adjoining room, kitchen, _and_ bathroom.

He huffed, kind of wishing Happy were there to calm him down or make him laugh. He watched his breath blow away like smoke in the nipping air.

One particular footfall of his stopped him, as if his subconscious had known all along where Lucy was. He looked up to find himself and the abandoned villa she had comforted him at.

'Where we held hands,' Natsu couldn't help but think. Suddenly, this much brighter feeling rose into his chest and sank slightly into his belly. He grinned, feeling the warmth of Lucy's right hand in his left, even if it was only a residual.

He began walking up the stone steps.

"_Puun! Pun!_" said a tiny voice.

"What the hell?" he whispered, brows furrowing, wide eyes narrowing just slightly. It wasn't Lucy, after all?

But no, when he saw Lucy, he began walking faster before breaking into a run, not even noticing the white creature so short to the ground and accidentally kicking it. It was only when Canis Minor was knocked over that Lucy noticed Natsu.

She looked up at him with a reprimand in her eyes but she paused when she saw his red cheeks, red face, squinted eyes, pink hands - basically, everything that indicated he was _very_ cold.

Lucy herself was freezing, but she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a light sweater - two that _actually_ covered her torso. The blond bent down and looked affectionately at Canis Minor.

"Come here, Plue. It's okay! He didn't mean to."

"Plue?" was Natsu response to this little exchange. Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the way it sounded coming from him. It sound more like _puh-loo_ rather than Plue coming from him. He grinned.

"_Puu…puuuunnn…._" the critter slowly got up and made its way to Lucy's arms, snuggling up close to her ample breast. Natsu blushed and looked away.

Meanwhile, Lucy observed him and patted the bump where Plue had hit his head.

"What is Plue?" Natsu asked. Lucy smiled again.

"He's a dog. He's called _Nikora_, and his title is _Canis Minor_," she explained. "He's a spirit that comes from a silver key."

Natsu wasn't really sure what she was talking about when it came to her magic so he just said, "Cool."

Though, he wondered if he should try to learn about her abilities.

Lucy didn't seem impressed with his response. Or at least, that's what it seemed like to him, but Lucy's brow only furrowed because she began to think about Layla's Memory.

The members of Fairy Tail spent their time consoling her when they realized she was down about it again. She didn't mean to cause them even more trouble by looking so sad, but she couldn't help it, so sometimes, she just went off like this and trained.

She'd gotten better over the past two days - at the beginning of which she had finally started training. All of her spirits were kind to her except for Aquarius, but Lucy still loved the water bearer just as much as the others. She was grateful both to have friends like them, and to have means of protecting the friends she had in the realm of the humans.

The Celestial mage was still _very _weak considering her age. She could only summon a spirit a few minutes at a time before her magic would wear down and they would have to return to the spirit realm. It made her sad to see them go back into their keys every single time - she missed them, no matter how often she might see them, so she resolved to get stronger so that she might enjoy their presence longer.

"Hi, Plue," Natsu said stupidly in response, still feeling insecure about his earlier emotionless interjection.

"_Pun_!" the dog quivered, but looked at Natsu with kind, 'eager-to-be-your-friend' eyes.

"Plue is weird," Natsu pointed to the dog. Lucy laughed and rubbed Plue's head.

"Just like everybody else we know."

"Do you have more spirits?" Natsu asked, just as Plue began to merge with his key again. He watched her eyes sadden, but then brighten when she realized what he said.

"I do! I have many more," she smiled.

Natsu looked at her expectantly so she took out another silver key.

"You've met Pyxis and Plue, and sort of Aquarius," she said. She held the aforementioned spirit keys in her hands and held out the remaining silver keys. "Pick one."

Natsu did as he was told and watched with great curiosity as Lucy summoned the spirit.

With a chant as epic as Lucy's, he wasn't expecting it to be a cross that didn't talk much.

"This is Crux."

Natsu sweat dropped. "What's he do?"

"You're making him sound like a tool," Lucy frowned, narrowing her eyes at the dragonslayer. Natsu put his hands up in apology. "He does scanning magic - he's really good at it, but you have to, uh, catch him when he's awake to make use of it."

Natsu chuckled. "He should consider coffee." Even Crux smiled in his slumbering state - then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"He has no hands, let alone thumbs, you dummy."

"Is that all?" Natsu ignored her. Lucy shook her head.

"No, but I'm tired now. Priscilla told me that I should know when to stop training."

Natsu nodded, slightly proud of this. The blond shivered. Natsu's jaw jarred his teeth to chattering.

"Let's head home," Natsu said finally. Lucy nodded and stuck her necklace full of keys back on. She wrapped her thin arms around herself and walked about a foot away from Natsu. When he moved toward her to conserve warmth, she moved away.

"Personal space?" she said crudely. Natsu scowled playfully.

"It's cold, Lu-shi."

Thus, when they were shoulder to shoulder and leaning slightly towards one another, Lucy didn't move away.

The two walked in silence for some of the trip, the wind numbing their bodies. They were sure to have frostbite by the morn.

It wasn't often, but sometimes Natsu thought without prompting. This was one of those times.

And as he had the last time he'd done it, he thought about Lucy.

Why was she so sad lately? That was his main concern. There were so many other things about Lucy that were questionable, but that was the one that made his heart ache.

"Lucy, are you okay?" Natsu finally asked. Lucy looked up at him in surprise.

She nodded. "I'm alright."

Natsu paused, huffing in a cool breath of cruel cold air. "Do you still blame yourself?"

He only had these talks with Lucy - unnecessary talks that still revealed so much about themselves.

Lucy didn't answer for a minute, and Natsu was about to let it go when she said, "Yes."

Natsu grinned, almost in a teasing way, but it wasn't genuine, because it still hurt that she felt that way. "What for?"

"You know what for, dummy."

Natsu sighed. "You shouldn't. It's not your fault your dad's a psycho." Lucy winced. "Sorry, but it's kind of true."

He wanted to say more, tell her that no one had ever blamed her, that they loved her and they would stick it out with her until the end - but then, the hotel came into view.

"Lucy, I love you," he said quickly, before thick-headedly realizing what he had just said. Lucy, who had strayed ahead of him and grasped the wood door handle looked back at him sharply.

"What?"

In all honesty, he had meant to say 'we love you,' as if that would sum up everything he had wanted to say. He almost corrected himself, too, before realizing that he also meant what he had said, even if he had mistakenly said it.

He shifted his weight onto one foot, only to find that that ankle stung, so he shifted it to the other.

He did love Lucy, he decided. He wanted to say that she was like a sister to him, like the other girls in the crew had always been, but in that moment, he realized that she was not.

She was foreign to him.

He did not know how he loved her.

Her eyes lowered, as if saddened, and he felt compelled to add something - anything.

"I like having you in my crew."

It was pathetic, and he felt like a child by saying it, but her eyes widened slightly. She didn't make eye contact with him, but he saw a tear begin to gather in her eye and there was a slight upturning of her lips.

"Thank you," he thought he heard her whisper. He stayed frozen in shock where he was.

Did that just really happen? It felt almost surreal.

He waited until the sound of her footfalls hit the top of the stairs before going inside.

"Lucy," he murmured to himself.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I don't know WHY I capitalize 'celestial' everytime I type Celestial mage. Don't question it. Author quirk.  
Well, it kind of DOES look pretty. Don't you think? Anyway. I hope you had a jolly good old time with this chapter. Until next time.**

-Amaya


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Yeehp. It's been like a month since I've updated. Sorry. Enjoy dis chappy-chap-chap. c:**

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

"Lucy, are you feeling alright?"

Once more, the well being of Lucy was the topic of the morning. Said blond was buried deep beneath her mountains of pillows, still shivering violently beneath the warmth.

She didn't answer.

"Boy, rich people sure are sickly," Happy chimed. Mira looked disapproving.

"Happy. You know it's not because of that. And rich people are not sickly."

A groan was heard beneath the peak of pillows on top of Lucy.

"What's with her?" Gray wondered aloud, munching on a piece of leftover steak.

Yes. There were leftovers, for once in their entire pirate careers. Why?

Natsu was sick, too.

"She seems to be having the same effects as Natsu-san."

Gray scoffed, grossly spraying a couple of food particles onto the floor like a true pirate.

"With flames like Natsu's, you'd think he couldn't ever be affected by the cold," Happy said, looking a little down to not have his friend for the day.

"Isn't it kind of weird that Natsu and Lucy are sick? At the same time, on the same day?" Levy asked, looking sly as she slipped on her parka to go food shopping with Erza, Wendy and Charle.

Mirajane looked exasperated. "It's just coincidence, I'm sure. Now go shopping. We need food."

Gray scoffed again, this time able to keep the food in his mouth. "As if anybody's going to open up shop in this weather."

The ice make mage was right. There was a blizzard out today, with heavy winds. The season on this island had changed so quickly that no one had time to prepare.

Levy frowned at him. "We'll just see about that."

Phlegm-y coughs reached their ears just moments after Levy slammed the door shut. It was not Lucy, but Natsu.

"Poor boy," Mirajane frowned. Gray was thoroughly amused by this, but only for a moment. His head sank back in his chair and he crossed his arms to cradle it. A sigh broiled from his chest.

"I should have gone with Elfman and Gajeel."

* * *

Snot dripped slightly from noses before being hastily snorted back up. Said noses were red as Rudolph's. Cheeks were as pink as Santa Claus'. Each time eyes were opened for more than a few moments, the eye fluid began to slowly freeze, making it a little harder, a little colder, and a little more painful to blink.

The quest between the two men to find a doctor was a long one. No one was crazy enough to be out and about.

One ungloved, tanned hand wiped across a greasy copper sign. "Black smith."

Another hand, almost identical but considerably larger, did the same. "Hide Tannery."

Gajeel turned around to question the other. "Hide Tannery? Who's going to find hides on this deserted island?"

Elfman shrugged.

"Let's just go back."

Elfman looked disappointed in himself for saying, "Sometimes a man just has to turn in for the day."

* * *

"It's cold you guys. Let's go home."

Wendy looked back at Levy happily. "Don't worry, we'll find our way soon!"

Levy blew out an exasperated sigh.

* * *

"Flame for brains is finally awake," Gray called. Natsu's brow furrowed.

"Quiet," he whispered, voice clearly unable to use.

"What did you say?!" Gray shouted into Natsu's ear. Much to the ice make mage's dismay, in response, Natsu threw up the bile resting in the pit of his stomach. "Oh, grody."

Natsu shifted to the other side of the bed as he wiped his face, curling up so his feet weren't touching the vomit.

"Aren't you going to clean that up?"

"Clean what up?" Mirajane chimed in.

"Be quiet," Natsu insisted almost inaudibly. Mirajane's eyes locked onto the vomit and she immediately went to get a wet rag.

"Natsu," she called when she came back. "Go lay in the bed next to Lucy's so I can keep an eye on both of you."

He didn't want to get up, and when he thought he was standing up completely, it had turned out, he had only just lifted his head. The room was spinning so much. The area above his eyes ached.

Soon, he was looking at the ceiling rather than the spinning ground. He heard someone say something, but didn't care to try to make out what it was.

The dragonslayer was basically thrown on the bed by Gray. Mirajane felt his forehead before spreading blankets about over his body. When it seemed Natsu was asleep, she left to grab another bucket to put beside Natsu's bed.

"Maybe they're hungover?"

Mirajane looked over at the other mage. "Have you ever had a hangover like this, Gray?"

He shrugged. "Nope."

* * *

Another couple of days of Mirajane rushing around like a madwoman and she had finally nursed the two mages back to health. The snow outside was deep, but the blizzard had slowed to a light snowfall. Villagers were shoveling the pavement outside.

Meanwhile, Lucy was quietly slipping on her brown coat that clung to her curves. The cotton inside was making her sweat, and so she was in a hurry to get outside. She held onto her keys so that they wouldn't make a noise.

When she closed the door, she wasn't quiet enough, because Natsu's eyes shot open. He got up and followed her straight away.

He caught up in the lobby and grabbed her wrist. '_Warm_,' he thought irrelevantly.

"Where you goin'?" he asked. Lucy blushed, and he wondered if it was because he was holding her wrist. That thought was diminished, though, as the blond held up her Celestial Keys and shook them slightly. The tinkling echoed in Natsu's still aching head.

"Oh. Okay." He let go of her wrist. She fled quickly outside.

* * *

After a few days, Natsu was used to waking up to the door thudding closed and knowing that Lucy was off to train magical stamina again. She seemed to mysteriously disappear just after dinner, too, so he assumed she was training her magic twice a day.

Proud of Lucy as he was for working so hard, he was beginning to get worried for her health. She woke up exhausted every morning; he could tell from the smell of her that lingered each time she closed the door.

No one else seemed to have noticed, but Wendy had to have, seeing as she was the only other light sleeping dragon slayer in their crew.

This morning, however, Lucy was late for breakfast.

Though it was no longer storming snow out in the cold island, it was still quite chilly, and by the time they had finished eating, she was _still _not there.

Everyone seemed to pause.

Erza was the first to voice her opinion. "I'm getting worried," she confided in the rest of the group as she closed her eyes and drank from her mug. This broke out a flurry of comments.

"It's not like her to be late for breakfast."

"Wouldn't she normally still be sleeping by now?"

"No, wait, now that you mention it, she's been up early for, like, the past week."

"Something's definitely up. She -"

"-has been training." Erza cut Levy off. Everyone fell silent. Then they exploded.

Again.

"That's so cool of her!"

"Who would have thought Lucy would start training on her own?"

"I would have!"

"Lucy's cool like that."

"Everyone, quiet!" Mirajane's voice carried over everyone else's. They all stopped to look at her. She looked around to make sure everyone would _stay_ quiet. "Okay. The point Erza is trying to make that despite our delight at her training, she has been disappearing every so often throughout the day."

Some of them looked like they wanted to say something, but Natsu was first. "What? She's only been disappearing twice a day!"

"Wrong!" Wendy said in a sing-song voice. "I've noticed Lucy's scent gets weaker in the morning before breakfast, after lunch, then after dinner!"

Natsu frowned. Was Wendy's nose keener than his?

He shrugged. The little one was attentive - he'd give her that. He couldn't even focus on the fact that Lucy's scent nearly disappeared before he got into another fight with Gray or Gajeel.

"She's always on time," Mirajane continued as though neither had said a thing, "but today she's not. Should we take that to mean that something happened to her?"

Natsu's ears perked up slightly at that. He stood up. "Let's do that."

The others began to stand, but Erza halted all of them, much to Natsu's dismay. He gave her a blank look that clearly said _What the hell are you doing?_

She looked at him apologetically and said, "Natsu, I'm afraid by doing that we're being unreasonable. So, since you're captain of this crew, I'm going to ask that _instead_, you send a small team to look for her."

Many of the crew stiffened in surprise. Gray even started to protest at recognizing the young dragonslayer, buy Gajeel nudged the ice maker and gave him a look.

Natsu kind of stood there awkwardly for a second, trying to register that Erza had just openly given him recognition based on position.

"Uh…"

Gray shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Well, make a move, she could be _dying _out there!"

This snapped Natsu back to attention and he straightened. "All in favor?"

The statement surprised them even more than Erza's indirect announcement, and many of them broke out in grins at how much they liked the new system of decisions.

"Aye!" The group said in unison.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there's some development in the position of the crew, meanwhile, Lucy's going to play damsel in distress. Review, if you like the story, or whatever. c:**

**-Amaya**


	14. Chapter 14

**AUGH, sorry, sorry, OOOOOH sorry sorry sorry. T_T I'm such a jerk. I haven't even been writing. I don't know if its because I decided I hated it or I was just bored of this story, but nevertheless I UPDATE. **

**But I don't have the next chapter written so I'm going to allot myself a little more time. BUT, I'm going to give myself a deadline. If I don't finish the next chapter by January 20th, NONE OF YOU REVIEW. This way there's no such thing as writer's block because I'll HAVE to write. c:**

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

Technicolor dots danced across Lucy's still-gray vision. Her head swam with jumbled thoughts from before she had passed out. She remembered feeling stifling force on the side of her head and especially her ear before she fell unconscious.

"Ah…nng…." The sound escaped Lucy's slightly chapped lips of its own accord. She lifted her head slightly, and in response, something wet - that she didn't realize was there at first - slipped from her head. "…Wha?"

A deep, chuckle that made Lucy shiver echoed in the atmosphere. "You fainted." The voice said. It was a luscious, velvet voice that fell over her in what felt like rivers. His voice did not make her shiver in the same manner.

Her eye lids became lighter and lighter until she could open her eyes completely to look about the room. There didn't seem to be anyone there, but there _was_ an open door in the corner. Inside was a complete abyss she could not break.

"Where am I?" she asked, not really expecting an answer as she lay her head back down and closed her eyes.

"You are in my home," the seductive voice said in her ear. She flinched in alarm. He chuckled again.

Her eyes looked to her right side, studying him. His face was fairly tan, and his hair was the reddest red she had ever seen. A slightly large forehead followed down the bridge of his pierced nose, down the minute indent beneath it and to his lips, a perfect, bow-like shape. He was a beautiful man.

She was blushing until she looked to his eyes that were a piercing white-blue color. His left eyebrow was pierced. Both of his ears seemed to be pierced as well - several times, actually, as there were diamond rings at the bottom, and the rest were just little silver ornaments.

His eyes, though not the right color, immediately reminded her of a snake.

"Are you finished?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes as his lips lifted in the slightest.

Lucy's eyes refocused.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"I got you home twenty minutes ago. I would guess you'd been unconscious for a mere half hour. Any longer and I might have been worried." Lucy's lids sank in a comical way.

"The fact that you brought me here shows that you were worried anyway."

"No, no," the man said. "Maybe I wanted to do something for a stranger out of the kindness of my heart?"

"I don't know you, but somehow I find that unlikely."

He laughed. "One can know many things about another by a mere first impression. Let me guess - you're… rich?"

Lucy perked up.

"You act like you don't look down your nose at lower class people, but you really do."

Lucy sank. He stood and turned toward the bookshelf on the other side of the room.

"You're doted on by men a lot."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "What are you playing at?"

He was quiet a moment, before he looked back at her with a slightly smiling face. "You're also _very _amusing when angry."

Lucy sat up and began to throw the covers off of her when she realized she was only in a man's robe.

And nothing else.

She snatched the blankets back up, turning over and blushing as the man laughed.

"Don't worry, it's nothing I haven't already seen, hahaha!"

Lucy furrowed deeper. "You gross, disgusting, corrupt sneak! How dare you change me before I wake? Without my knowledge! You've - you've…"

A loud slam of the door she hadn't noticed on the wall behind the bed alarmed her into sitting up again, the robe coming undone at the sudden movement. She turned around, not at all noticing until she saw Natsu's red face and heard the man's nervous snickers.

"Natsu?"

One, single bead of blood sank from his nostril, and he turned around and put his head down in shame.

This only made the man laugh harder. Lucy looked down, then quickly snatched the robe around her.

"Natsu, get me some clothes, please?"

* * *

"Natsu, get me some clothes, please?"

The dragon slayer quivered at the sound of her voice and turned around. What was she doing in this man's house? Actually, from what he could smell, this was not even his house, it belonged to a group of three, not including him.

Why was she dressed in the man's robe? Why had she been blushing when he came in? Why did she look so startled? Had she not been expecting him to come to retrieve her?

Why did the man look at her in such a hungry way?

"You can come with," he could not help but say, slipping off his long, purple-tinted, leather, white fur-trimmed trench coat and throwing it into her lap. He gave her a look that said 'Get that robe off.'

"Natsu, it's cold out. I can't go out in only a trench coat. I'll be bare-legged!"

"Why not go and get her the clothes?" the man butted in, looking at Natsu condescendingly. "I will protect her until you return."

Natsu stubbornly tilted his head down slightly, looking up at the man viciously through his lashes. "That will not do. You will have to go and retrieve the clothes."

Lucy shrunk. Natsu was kind of scaring her. The man looked like he didn't want to give in, but saw that he wouldn't win the ensuing battle too easily. He nodded once.

"Alright then."

With that, he walked swiftly past Natsu and onto the town.

The moment his last heel was across the threshold, Natsu slammed the door shut.

"Take that thing off. We're going home."

Lucy didn't think about her modesty, as Natsu's tone was make her muscles quiver with fear. She tore the robe off, stood, and put on Natsu's coat, shaking fiercely as she fastened it closed at its tightest setting. It was still too large for her - Natsu's back was very broad.

All the while, Natsu's eyes watched her hands, trying to ignore the way her chest moved at every slight movement, or the line of soft hair below her stomach that led to a place he dare not look in order to preserve her innocence. His nostrils burned with the scent of her.

"Lucy," he said quietly. She looked up as she fastened the last button at the bottom. Unlike her first belief that it would be too short on her to keep her from the cold, it actually sank to her feet.

Their eyes locked, and in those eyes, she could see anger, yes, and she could see worry.

But she could also see something else that she could not identify.

"Natsu?" she called. This seemed to have snapped him from his chance because suddenly, she was in his arms and outside, being carried through the streets of Hargeon at an unbelievably fast pace. "_Natsu_!" she leaned into the only thing she felt, a warmth behind her, and tucked her face into her hands.

Eventually they slowed, and she could finally hear Natsu's steps echoing on the ground. It was midmorning, and even she could hear the sounds of the market. As if sensing her thoughts, Natsu started to walk further from the bustling clatter of the bazaar, as if to get away from the beautiful man with the snake-like eyes.

When they were nearing the hotel, Natsu's head tilted upwards and he began to walk fairly slow, scenting the air. His eyes became shifty, and suddenly he turned right, then left - then they were moving fast, so Lucy tucked herself away again.

"What is it?" she asked when she felt their speed slow. What sounded like a voice on the wind answered back.

"We were followed. I'm guessing they'll figure out we're staying at that hotel."

Lucy frowned, and an empty hole made itself known in her heart.

"Damn, Lucy. What's with you? Why weren't you on time today? Why didn't you tell me you were training? Most importantly, why were you in that guy's bed?"

Lucy's eyes widened, then narrowed. "What?" she asked, as if offering him a chance to change that last question. He ran on. "It's not like that. I -" she wondered if telling him she'd slept with the guy would be better than telling him she'd worked herself so hard she passed out.

"Go on."

" -passed out after working too hard in training."

Either way, Natsu was furious. She could tell not only from his tone and language that was unusually calm and thought-out _sounding_, but from the flame sparkled angrily in his eyes.

Natsu skidded to a stop, turned left and started running at a regular pace. A bead of sweat traced a path down the side of his face.

"Natsu?"

Her voice sounded smaller than she wanted it to.

"We'll talk about this when we get back there."

Lucy gulped, imagination going as far as to wonder if he was going to bend her over his knee and spank her for her carelessness.

* * *

**A/N: Well. I hope it wasn't a disappointment after all this time, but I assure you, this chapter was necessary.**

**-Amaya**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: HA. I DID IT. YOU DIDN'T THINK I'D BE ABLE TO, BUT I DID. AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT IS 11:36 PM 1/19/13. Yayyy! Enjoy, and stuff. c:**

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

It was nightfall before Natsu even thought about bringing Lucy back to the hotel. He wanted to warn the others to look out. He wanted to move out of this place before anything bad could happen. His head was spinning with how many worries plagued his mind.

Or maybe that was just the exhaustion from running continuously for so long.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked as she listened to his panting breaths. They had finally stopped at the shore they had flopped onto when they first arrived in Hargeon. "Natsu."

"Calm down, Luigi!" he shouted. Lucy stopped for a second, trying to comprehend what he had just said before he started laughing.

"My name is Lucy," she deadpanned as he doubled over, breathless now for another reason. That only served to make him laugh harder.

"I _meant_... Lucy," he said between fits of laughter. Said blonde's lip twitched - in a grimace or smirk? He would never know.

"Are we going home, or what?" she asked, hands moving to perch on her curvaceous hips. Natsu didn't seem to hear her. He was done laughing a few moments later, though, and finally answered.

"I don't know." He paused. "Maybe we will. Should we? Whatever, let's go." He held his arms out as if to embrace her and her brow furrowed. When she didn't move, he promptly sighed and walked forward, picking her up so that his arms acted like a cradle.

All too soon, wind was rushing at her ears again, almost painfully. As if the inanimate object sensed this, Natsu's scarf came to rest against her head. Natsu's trench coat allowed wind to billow up inside, decreasing her body temperature. When her teeth began to chatter, Natsu slowed. Still she was freezing and he sped up again so they could get to the inn faster.

His steps stopped only inside the building where stinging warmth awaited their aching cold fingers. Natsu didn't give her a moment to rest after putting her down, quickly, roughly taking her arm and dragging her toward the staircase.

The dragon slayer purposely slammed the door closed when they went inside to alarm the others of his presence.

"Smells like snow!" Happy said immediately.

"Smells like crap," Gajeel replied.

"Smells like flame-for-brains," Gray added.

Natsu's brow furrowed. "What are all these insults for?"

"Dinner is late because everyone was looking for you guys! Eventually we gave up and came back home," Erza exclaimed. "Tardiness will no longer be tolerated," she insisted, looking pointedly at Lucy. "Especially for you."

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "It wasn't her fault she was late. Don't blame anyone until you know the whole story," he said, an uncomfortable anger-like feeling he had never felt towards Erza spreading in his chest.

The requip mage seemed taken aback.

"Besides. Who gave you the right to command when we show up for dinner?"

"You know I didn't mean it like that," Erza's eyes portrayed her apology. Natsu was about to continue when Lucy interrupted him.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault I was late. I fainted during training because I didn't realize I was pushing myself too hard."

"Lucy, it's fine!" Levy said, wrapping an arm around Erza's waist. Said red head smiled appreciatively at the blonde who was smothered by the purple trench coat she wore.

"Lucy-chan should warm herself and get ready for dinner," she said simply. Lucy was overcome with warmth. She grinned at Erza and did as she was told. The Titania could not help but smile back.

"Set the table, Natsu," Erza continued, looking at him with eyes a little narrowed. Gajeel snorted.

When Erza walked away Natsu huffed. "Why does she look at me like it's my fault?"

"Erza-san isn't an affectionate person. That's the only way she knows how to show that she was worried," Wendy seemed to have materialized out of no where.

The twelve year old gave a smile to the man and he huffed and walked to the kitchen, grumbling about something or other.

"He's incredibly grumpy," Levy commented.

Happy chose this moment to fly in through the open door. "I couldn't find Lucy! Wah, Natsu will hate me forever! Why, Lucy? What happened?! Where did you go? Luu-shii!"

"I'm here, Happy," Lucy came out of the bathroom brushing her hair. Tears streamed down the Exceed's furry face.

"L-Lu-_Luu_!" he wailed, unable to finish saying her name. He flew dramatically into her, being caught by her arms that reached out to meet him. His tiny body, wet with the snow that had begun to fall gently outside, became smothered by her ample breast.

"Happy!" The Exceed immediately stopped crying and tore himself from Lucy to fly to Natsu. The waiting dragon slayer had a carefree grin on his face. The two engaged in a reunion that made it seem like they hadn't seen one another in years. Pantherlily frowned at their behavior.

"Confounded noise," he muttered. Gajeel harrumphed in agreement. Natsu noticed this and proceeded to pick a fight with the larger dragon slayer.

"Hey, you got a problem - _guy_?" he asked, unable to think of a good insult. Gajeel scoffed. Pantherlily reached up his little paws to cover his ears. Wendy did the human equivalent, but she also closed her eyes.

"Knock it off, you guys!" Levy yelled uncertainly, walking up to get between them. Gajeel lost his offensive stance and crossed his arms again.

"Tell _him_ that."

"Tell metal-head to stop being such a -"

Charle covered Wendy's hands on her ears with her paws as Erza came in swinging a fire poker. Lucy grabbed Levy with comically shaking hands, shoving her into a corner and getting in front of her. Gray, meanwhile, cracked up at Lucy's behavior.

"NATSU. WE WILL ALL GET ALONG BECAUSE WE ARE NAKAMA," Erza screamed as she hit him with the fire poker. Gajeel laughed and laughed until a stray swing hit him in the stomach.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast completely over Erza and Natsu who were now wrestling for the metal object. They paused and looked up to see Elfman looking down at them with shaded eyes. They both scowled.

"What? You want to fight, too?! Bring it on!" Natsu cracked his knuckles, but was interrupted by Elfman's large hands that were larger than both of his combined. The white haired man spoke.

"No." He smiled caringly and pointed behind him. "Dinner is ready."

On queue, Natsu's stomach growled.

"Come and get it, kiddies!" Mirajane called from the kitchen.

"Yay!" the members of Fairy Tail all yelled in unison as they rushed to the kitchen.

As they devoured the food she'd prepared, Mirajane looked on in satisfaction, eyes straying to Lucy who looked as lively as ever, stealing food off of Natsu's plate. She smiled when Natsu noticed and pouted as he ate, clearly tempted to steal food from her had she not eaten hers already.

Wait. What?

"Wait, what?" Gray echoed her thoughts, stopping in his eating to look at Lucy, commending her with his eyes.

Lucy saw the ice-make mage's look as a look of disgust, though, and blushed furiously, looking down. "I was really hungry."

Everyone blinked before going back to eating.

"Whatever," Gray shrugged, winking at Lucy.

Natsu's plate was still half full. He stared at her for a moment.

"I challenge you to an eating contest!" Natsu declared as he refilled his plate.

Lucy, clearly still embarrassed at being the first to finish, punched his shoulder irritably. "No!"

Her protest fell on deaf ears as he continued. "Whoever eats the most food wins, go!"

Lucy got up and slapped him over the head playfully. "You just want an excuse to eat more than everyone else."

He mumbled something through the food that she didn't understand.

"I'm tired. Going to bed everyone," Lucy announced. There wasn't much response besides the grunting of acknowledgement and the clink of silverware. She smiled at the scene of all of her friends slouched over the table before her. Natsu looked up at her as her smile faded but stayed in her eyes.

"Good night," she said quietly. Natsu swallowed and nodded after her.

"Night, Luce."

* * *

'So, it's that inn?' the man with the red hair looked at the tall building. He'd realized the moment Natsu changed course that they stayed at that inn. Unlike Natsu, he wasn't stupid. He chuckled slightly at the thought of the dimwitted dragon slayer.

"Brachia-sama," a velvet voice said from behind him. "What will you have me do to lure them out?"

"Nothing," his red hair swayed forward in the wind, being splattered with water from the girl behind him. "Nothing yet, Juvia."

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to show how Lucy fits into Fairy Tail and how happy she is to be there with this chapter. And also, ohmuhglob, I miss Juvia, so that's why I stuck her in WAY earlier than she was supposed to be introduced. Review, if you'd like.**

**-Amaya**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Halfway through winging it, I got up to grab a drink of water and when I came back, I spotted the outline on my lower bookshelf in PLAIN SIGHT. So I winged (wung? LOL) it AND followed the outline. Enjoy, after almost a month. And again, I'm very sorry you guys. Truly. **

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

"Lucy!" a familiar voice called. Aforementioned woman froze.

She was in the market in her red parka and black boots. Her arms were full with brown paper bags, which were full of groceries.

"I didn't tell you my name," she said, immediately catching his mistake.

"You did."

She turned around to see the red haired man that had once been her captor. Now that she compared their sizes, he was about two heads taller than Natsu, which meant he was fairly tall compared to her. She came up to a little below his chest.

Lucy raised her brow at him, kind of regretting that she was alone right now. They had all split up with separate lists, preparing to leave the island after Natsu's explanation of the situation and thus buying all the things they needed.

"That's an awful lot of groceries. Do you need help?" Brachia asked, inviting himself closer to her and grasping one of her bags and freeing one of her arms before she could grip it tighter. "You did tell me," he continued. "You said it in your sleep. Or faint. Or whatever."

She scowled. "Why would I say my own name in my sleep?" She didn't begin walking, but absentmindedly began following him when he did.

"I assume you're done shopping?" he asked. She hesitated.

"What's it to you?"

"Come on, now, Luce," he started before he was cut off.

"Don't call me that," she spat. It just sounded wrong coming from him.

"I just want to be friends."

There was a silence. Lucy looked over at him. He was looking at her, eyes cautious. They stopped.

"I don't trust you," she said honestly. "I don't think we _can_ be friends."

"You didn't trust Natsu when you first met him."

"What?" her eyes widened. Her heart began to race faster. He looked at her seriously for a moment before grinning.

"Just kidding! You thought I was serious, didn't you? You should have seen your face!"

Lucy didn't say anything but kept looking at him nervously and began walking. '_Natsu..._' she thought to herself, '_what do I do? No, Natsu would charge in, hands on fire. Erza... what do I do?_'

Her eyes sparkled, just a little bit, in resolve to get this man to admit to whatever he'd been doing, which she suspected was following her. She knew it would be hard, so she didn't start asking questions immediately. She was clever, though, she decided, so she would manage.

"Yeah, you almost had me there," she laughed. He looked surprised. "You never did tell me your name, you know?"

"My name is Brachia."

"That's a stupid name," she said instantly. "Thank you, by the way, for picking me up when I fainted. I would have frozen to death out there."

Brachia, who seemed to have recovered from his shock, narrowed his eyes slightly. "I like my name. At least I didn't get stuck with Lucy."

"That's because you're a man. Or are you?"

Brachia blushed a little in embarrassment. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Yeah. I'm a man, just like your mother."

'_That makes no sense_,' Lucy thought. She acted offended anyway, turning her head from him and mumbling out a 'whatever.'

"Speaking of your mother," he started again, the little spat from before forgotten. "How is she?"

"You act like you know her," said Lucy, walking a little faster, as if to lose him. He easily matched her speed.

"I do know her, actually. Unless you're not Heartfilia, Lucy."

Lucy trembled a little.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to bring you back to your father's if that's what you're thinking."

"If you knew my mother so well, you'd know she's been dead for years."

"I knew," Brachia replied craftily, throwing her a smile. "I was just seeing if you'd lie to me."

Lucy frowned.

"What about my mother? Why the sudden curiosity?"

Brachia was silent for a few moments. They walked until Lucy stepped into a puddle. She looked down when the water seemed to suck her foot to the ground briefly, before letting her lift her leg. She stepped back, then looked around.

'_This weather isn't warm enough for there to be puddles_,' she thought before stepping over the puddle and continuing on her way. Brachia glared at the puddle before continuing on.

'_Juvia... stupid woman._'

The person inside the puddle trembled before reforming herself loosely with the water and allowing herself to travel through the snow instead, where she wouldn't be noticed.

"Did you know?" Brachia asked, breaking the silence. "My father was a Celestial mage, too."

Lucy looked over at him, suddenly interested.

"All of his keys were stolen, though, one day. By multiple people, he said. But he had somehow been locked in one place by some invisible force, unable to do anything."

"Magic?" Lucy guessed.

"Magic." Brachia's face seemed to have hardened. "Did you know that day was the same day my dad was going to teach me how to use the Celestial keys?"

Lucy looked over at him, then looked down his body, stopping at the sword on his hip. She stared at it for a few moments, something about it ringing a bell in her head. He drew his cloak over it.

"Of course, I did have to find a trade for myself. I can't find any more powerful keys other than what my father had. I have some silver keys, though, and one gold key," he said. Lucy's eyes sparkled.

"Do you really? Can I see it?"

Brachia laughed and reached into his pocket. "This key is called Gate of the Lion. Its name is Leo. But it won't come out."

This piqued Lucy's attention. "Why not? Where did you get him?" she asked, referring to Leo is 'him' rather than 'it.'

"I took it from another Celestial mage after a fight. She called it Loke, rather than Leo, but it doesn't matter because it won't come out upon being summoned anyway. It was the only key she had," he said. "Well, aside from her house key, anyway."

Lucy laughed a little. "Is she still alive?"

"Yes," he lied, handing her the key in question. It had a smooth texture and had a complex, closed, lion-like design where it would go into a lock. Upon holding this key, Lucy immediately felt the spirit's emotions through it.

"He's very sad," she blurted, unable to stop herself. "The spirit is sad because he regrets not being able to protect his owner. In his time un-summoned, he has engaged in grueling training of his own magic, and he is tired." She paused, trying to get a hold of herself, but a few last words the spirit forced from her mouth. "Loke won't come out because he hates you."

The key pulsed in her hand, as Brachia took a threatening aura and seemed to have lost it.

"Give me your keys, damn you! Your mother took my father's keys! Her and her damned guild mates! Give them back you f-"

Lucy's heart raced in panic and she was engulfed in a bluish light as, at last, Leo the Lion came from his gate. Though he was a golden key, with her recent training she was able to easily sustain his manifestation in the material world.

Brachia looked on in admiration at the spirit.

"You will not take another innocent life." Loke moved to attack, but suddenly, a punch from the side was landed on Brachia.

"Oh, hell no, this guy is _mine!"_

* * *

**A/N: Can you guess who it is? Haha.  
****  
So about Brachia. I'm really having fun with him. I'm trying to make him a not very good, kind of back and forth villain, because in all reality, he's really not. He's just angry that Layla's guild took something so important from his father, and now he wants revenge (LOLSASUKE). Unfortunately, This little arc with Brachia is almost finished already. And in case you didn't notice, you were supposed to realize that the sword on Brachia's hip is an important plot point. **

**I might draw Brachia in a realistic-manga fashion, if you guys would like to see what he looks like. Also, just because I updated a day after that promise, does not mean ANY less that I'm not going to make a cover for Able To Love. Unless you guys don't want to. I like to think I'm at least half-decent at drawing, so you won't have to worry about it being stick figures. If it sucks, you can go ahead and tell me and I'll try again. c:**

**-Amaya**

**P.S. Thanks** **to _anamaria . olteniceanu_ **** for being the only one to assure me that I wasn't totally hated for losing my shit and not updating for like, AGES. It was only a month though. Don't worry. I'll do my best to keep updating quickly. How does two weeks from now sound? I'll mark it on my wee calendar. (PS. I had to put that little space in otherwise FF would delete it. :C**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Yeah, obviously deadlines aren't for me. LOL. But really, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in over a month. I reached some sort of weird-ass stalemate in a war with this chapter. I'm pleased with this chapter somewhat, anyway, and I hope you are, too!**

**_-Clueless syndrome: That's exactly what a wee calendar is! How did you know!? :o  
-GoldenRoseTanya: I'm glad you're enjoying the story - or at least I think you are. "OOOOOOH" could be taken in a bad way, like "OOOOOH GOD NO."  
_****_-Cryptic-Queen: Thank you so much for this review. I'll link the picture of Brachia to you next chapter since I'll probs have finished it by then. And about the Natsu saying he shared the house with some people, I think you should go take a look again at that particular sentence. I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO YOU, for making me feel like I was not a bad person for not updating soon enough for you guys!  
_****_-VERONICABOOM: That review made me laugh! He so does sound black. Not to be racist._**

**As you can see, I'm only giving review replies to those I deem necessary, or ones that I want to comment on. c: If you want a review reply, you could give me some constructive criticism. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_**Previously:**_

_"You will not take another innocent life." Loke moved to attack, but suddenly, a punch from the side was landed on Brachia._

_"Oh, hell no, this guy is mine!"_

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

Time seemed to go in slow motion, and Lucy could almost _feel_ the fiery impact of Natsu's punch. She winced when the force twisted Brachia's body over once and he landed nose first on the concrete.

"Hn?" Loke raised a brow. "I think _not_!"

The spirit moved to attack but everyone paused for a moment when Brachia said, "Wait!"

Natsu grinned. "No way. I'm all fired up!"

Lucy heard a quiet _crack_ as Natsu's fist connected with Brachia's face again, fireless. The dragon slayer gave him not a moment to catch his breath before his other fist was nearly penetrating Brachia's stomach.

"_Holl-mph!_" The red haired man gagged on his own spit and tried to catch his breath after the blow to the solar plexus. But alas, for him; Natsu had other plans.

He swept his legs beneath Brachia's to make the man fall and straddled his chest, placing his knees on the other man's biceps.

"Any last words?" he asked dramatically.

Brachia smiled bloodily, making Natsu's nose burn a little with the smell. "I guess you don't want the Beelzebub?"

The dragon slayer paused for a moment, before stepping off quickly and taking the red haired man by the collar. "What are you saying?"

"That's what you're after, right? The Beelzebub? I have it."

Natsu looked down to check Brachia's body for the weapon and said man took that opportunity to uppercut Natsu's jaw, hitting that sweet spot that could kill in the process, if hit hard enough.

Luckily, it wasn't hit hard enough, but Natsu was a few yards away, hardly conscious, panting for breath and trying to keep himself awake.

"That's right, I have the Beelzebub. And now, I'm in the bargaining position." Brachia stepped one foot onto Natsu's body to keep him from getting up, careful to keep his eyes on Loke while doing so. "Juvia."

"Natsu!" Gray called, catching up with said dragon slayer at the same time Brachia called his accomplice. The ice-make mage played no games and tackled Brachia to the ground. Suddenly, though, he instead of breathing in air to compensate for exerted energy, he was breathing in water.

He clenched his eyes shut and started punching the water, holding whatever breath he had left.

"Juvia, yes! Keep doing that!" Brachia ordered. The water-like form of Juvia seemed abashed.

"Juvia is most embarrassed, Brachia-sama," she looked down at the man thrashing inside of her and fidgeted her watery hands, "drip, d-drop, drip."

Quickly, the water seemed to disappear, only to be replaced with the body of a beautiful woman. Gray fell on the ground and began sputtering and coughing the moment the water released him.

"Gray, where did your shirt go?!" Lucy called, unable to stifle her curiosity on why he would exhibit himself in the middle of winter.

Gray coughed louder and louder trying to get the water out of his throat. "Luu-_geeh!_" he coughed, a desperate cry for help. Juvia looked down at the exposed man, and felt her heart thump.

"Juvia, what is _wrong _with you?!" Brachia yelled.

The water mage could not hear herself think, and she hardly noticed as the blonde young woman came to the beautiful man's side to aid him. Her heart thumped so loudly she thought she was going to die, but if only to properly meet this man, she chose to live.

"I-I am called Juvia," she stretched her hand out to him when he had quit coughing. Gray looked at her like she had two heads.

"You just tried to kill me, and now you're introducing yourself?"

"Juvia is most apologetic..." he thought he heard her say something like '_drip-drip-drip_' under her breath.

"Gray, quit lollygagging, we've got to help Natsu!" Lucy screamed, pretty much losing her head.

"Calm the hell down, I'm right here," he got up just as Natsu started trying to lift his and Brachia's body weight.

"Natsu!" "Natsu!" "Natsu, are you okay?!"

What seemed like hundreds of calls of Natsu's friends echoed throughout the small area, and civilians gaped on, eager to see what happened, but reluctant to stay for fear of their safety. All Juvia could hear, though, was the sound of her pounding jealousy as she finally realized Lucy was there, with her hands on the beautiful man, Gray's, shoulders, inspecting him with tenderness to make sure he was not hurt.

A sort of blind rage took over the blue haired woman, and within an instant, Lucy was trapped inside the very orb that captured Gray.

"Lucy!" Gray called immediately, which only angered Juvia more. Gray didn't waste time watching the blonde try to break free, and only moved to make Juvia let her go. "Don't worry Lucy!"

He made a motion with his hands and said something under his breath and then Juvia's lower body was covered in ice, slowly moving upward, and Gray held a spear made of the cold substance that was pointed at her throat.

"Let her go, or -"

Gray didn't get to finish his sentence before Gajeel moved in a planted a fist to the woman's face. Elfman defended Gajeel's actions by saying "It is noble to protect your friends!"

It _really_ sounded like it hurt.

Elfman moved to help Natsu and Erza with Brachia.

Gray's ice that had risen to her waist was sturdy, and it did not break from the force, so Juvia's upper body flew backwards, her back making a sickening crack.

The ice-make mage's jaw had dropped. He hadn't actually wanted to _hurt_ the woman! "Ga -" he started, but the large dragon slayer wasn't listening. He threatened the woman with his fist and Levy, Pantherlily, and Happy cried for her to let Lucy go.

Pantherlily stopped and turned when he heard a slicing, squelching, and cracking sound and saw as Brachia was simultaneously punched in the jaw and back and sliced across the chest, deep, by Elfman, Natsu and Erza. He looked around again to see Wendy tending to Gray, who she was convinced was hurt. Charle flew around Wendy's body, looking concernedly at the ice-make mage.

Gajeel had begun strangling Juvia in a panic when he saw Lucy fall limp inside the orb. At last, a few twitches of her head nodded her affirmative that she would let Lucy go, and Gajeel released her. At the same time, the ball of water holding Lucy prisoner dissipated, and a blue-lipped Lucy who wasn't breathing emerged.

She fell to the ground, and everyone seemed to look at her in slow motion for a moment.

"Wendy!" Gray broke the moment, roughly pushing Wendy toward the blonde woman. Levy paid attention to Lucy, writing the word 'fire' to create heat while Wendy, once again, was stuck giving her CPR.

The rest watched as Erza swiftly pulled the sword at Brachia's hip from him. Sure enough, across the beautiful mahogany sheath, the name 'Beelzebub' was inscribed. To everyone's surprise, tears gathered in her eyes.

"Captain Makarov...," she whispered quietly, and hugged the sword gently to her. Brachia, who was now immobilized on the ground laughed, a smirk spreading across his face as something changed in his eyes. They seemed to grow a bright white, whiter than the blue they were already, and then...

Slowly, the Beelzebub disappeared into thin air, leaving only remnants of black fire for them to remember it.

* * *

**A/N: I'll tell you guys EXACTLY what I told my deviant art followers about the cover. I have a tiny magic wand scanner that wouldn't scan the entire 11x14 cover, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway. I think I did a good job on Lucy and Natsu, but the rest of the cover, I'm not really sure. I think I'll redo it in the future. **

**Anyway, so pretty intense chapter, and because of this, it seems really short. That's because it probably IS really short, but you can deal. You guys are strong, independent people. You don't need this story. You've got life. I just taught you a life lesson. LOL.**

**So I'll see you next chapter! I've got a couple of ideas for this story so I hope it won't take very long.**

**-Amaya**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Though this is a short chapter, I assure you it was necessary. Pretty much I hit a tiny bunch of inspiration and wrote this little drabble-chapter and I hope to continue writing for this story for a long while to come. c: Enjoy**

* * *

**Chapter 18:**

Everyone laid in wait for a few seconds as Erza's breath came out in short gasps. They all could feel the murderous intent in her aura.

A raspy, furious growl escaped her lips at the same time one of more caliber had escaped Natsu's. Only a few instances later, soft chuckles were emitted from Brachia's form, for he could manage no more than that.

Natsu moved to - end the man's life? Beat him until he was unrecognizable? - Erza didn't know, but she blocked his way. She was level-headed enough to realize they and Brachia were on equal ground, now.

"What do you want?" she whispered, lip twitching in disgust. Lucy was the first to get up, slowly walking to Erza for support. The others followed suit, a nearly unconscious Juvia cradled in Gray's arms - whom he lay next to Brachia's form.

"What was that?" Brachia deliberately asked. He licked his lips, giving a glance to Erza's body, then her face, before moving to Lucy.

"_What do you want_?!" Erza roared, fists clenching so hard her palms began to ease out blood. When Brachia noticed this, he gave a bittersweet laugh that ended with a growl.

"I want what I've wanted since the day my father's life was ruined - I want the keys your mother stole!" he exclaimed, turning his gaze back to the Celestial mage. She blanched at his tone before steeling her posture, because suddenly, she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Should she give up her closest companions for the happiness of her nakama? Or should she keep her keys and help them find another way to Beelzebub?

Her forefinger itched to worry her lower lip with nervousness, but she didn't move an inch.

"If you don't give me the keys..." Brachia started in a mocking tone.

Footsteps echoed and Fairy Tail turned. They made a path for the newcomer who had disappeared while Lucy was drowning and reappeared when he could feed off her magic again. Leo the lion held his key carefully out to Lucy.

"Do not allow your friends to come under the control of this evil man," he said.

Her resolve strengthened, and she finally looked around to see her friends silently telling her not to give up her keys. She stared at them with tears in her eyes as Leo the lion, having spent a fair amount of time in the material world on her still weak magic, faded away, leaving small flecks of light in his wake.

Sensing her sudden strength, Brachia growled, and in a blast of magic that came at them like freezing water, all of their visions turned black.

Beelzebub had fed off of his master's hate and acted on his own.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah. There you go. c:  
**

**-Amaya-Ai**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I COULD supply you with tons of excuses, but I'm not that kind of guy (I'm a girl). I started writing this chapter up until Natsu whispered Wendy's name, but then, I just... couldn't fucking do it. I just stopped. I had so many struggles with this chapter I couldn't even eat ice cream without feeling guilty for not writing. For two straight months, I avoided writing this. I have to be honest. I'm getting so tired of Able To Love, and its suckish self withering away on my flash drive. But I'm trying to get back into it. I WILL finish this story, though. I promise you that.**

**Anyway, enough of that. ENJOY THE CHAPTER.**

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

Lucy was the first to wake. The only thing she noticed was the absence of the new key ring full of keys on her hip.

She sat up quickly, surprised to find that she was unharmed. Looking around her, she realized that she was alone.

The room Lucy was in had no furniture, one window, and one door. She stood and walked toward the door and turned the knob. Not to be disappointed, the door wouldn't budge. It was locked from the outside.

Searching through her hair for the bobby pin she put in that morning, she cut herself on a small piece of paper bound in her hair tie. The pin was not there.

The blonde pulled out the note and opened it. It read:

_"Shushushushu... Now try looking for the tiny safety pin in your clothes."_

She instinctively felt where that safety pin would normally be hidden on her person - hey, she hadn't just been doping around in the crew, she had picked up a few useful things. She found the pin missing, too.

_Damn_, Lucy thought. She went to the window to look outside. All she could see were the foundations of a very tall fence. Beyond that, there was nothing but swirling black gas. _What is this place? _

She stood there for a long while, just staring out at the gas that contorted in whichever spot she laid her eyes on. _Taurus... Aries, Plue... everyone. I'm so sorry that I let you down. _

She looked down. _Loke_.

At the thought of the spirit who had shown so much determination, her resolve was strengthened little by little. She took a deep breath and walked toward the door.

Lucy jiggled the knob for good measure, then bent and inspected the lock hole. It was one of those old fashioned once that you could see right through. Thinking on her feet, she looked down at her attire and took off her belt immediately. The piece that went through the whole was longer and _thinner_ than it was on most belts - hence why they had bought that particular one.

Fairy Tail certainly knew how to be prepared without actually being prepared.

The mage contemplated how to get it off. She put the belt on the floor and knelt next to it, wiggling the aforementioned piece. It only went back so far before it was stopped by a small metal object.

Struck with inspiration, Lucy bent the latch as far back as it would go, stood, put her foot on it, and slowly eased her weight upon it.

A few moments passed, and by the time she heard a tinkling snap, she was practically jumping on her belt. She was a little out of breath when it collapsed beneath her and she grinned in relief as she knelt to pick it up. It was about three inches long and two millimeters wide, an almost perfect lock pick for the easy, old lock.

She bent to eye level with the lock and played with the tumblers for a fairly long while, since she wasn't as good as she'd like to think at lock picking, especially without the proper tools.

Finally though, she her a small _tink!_ and she was able to open the door.

Lucy had escaped her room.

* * *

However, the amount of time it took Lucy to escape made her fall behind a few others who had woken after her.

Natsu ran through the hallways after he woke, having only had to melt the lock to get out. He looked around rapidly, trying to find his nakama, as he ran. Most of the doors he came across were not locked, and any doors whose locks he melted were empty. Brachia was trying to throw him off.

He stopped abruptly, right in the middle of the hallway. His nostrils flared with a familiar, lilac-like scent, and his ears twitched very slightly, listening to an equally as faint sound.

_Inhale. Exhale. Inhale-inhale. Breathy exhale. Sob._

He followed the noises silently, making the sound of his own breath disappear. A door four meters away on the left seemed to be where the sound was coming from.

"Wendy," he whispered, concern sinking into its usual place in his normally carefree heart.

As soon as his whisper was finished, Wendy gasped from the other side of the door. He heard chains jangling and a soft, pitiful whimper of, "Natsu?"

He heard the sound of metal clanging vicious against metal. At the sound of it, he panicked, and he lay his hand on the lock and applied heat.

Rushed pants of, "Natsu-sama, Natsu-sama!" reached his ears and he hurriedly pushed harder against the lock, willing it to melt faster than it already rapidly was.

When, _finally_, the remainder of the lock clanged to the ground, he shoved the door open. What he saw would be etched into his mind forever.

* * *

Thump. Thump. Black danced at the corner of Elfman's vision. Thump-clank!

Though he appeared a massive rhinoceros, his power was slowly fading away inside of the cage in which he was held in. Whether it was a spell to suppress any magic, or one designed specifically to nullify Take Over magic didn't matter to him. He just needed to get out and find the rest of his nakama. Not to mention, behind him, Mirajane still slept and would not wake up no matter how hard he shook her.

He was afraid. And he was worried. He wanted to get out and make sure everything was okay, but he couldn't. No matter how much he slammed against the cage, it just wouldn't break. It seemed with every touch he gave the cage his power drained so much more.

Finally, he fell back from exhaustion, withering back to his original form just before he hit the ground.

Just before he slipped into unconsciousness, he whispered, "Natsu."

* * *

Natsu's ear turned slightly and he looked away from the sight before him for just a moment. "Elfman?"

He looked back at Wendy before him. The young girl was completely naked and was laying on her stomach. Her hands and feet were spread apart and held there by shackles. She had a few bruises, but didn't seem to be hurt other than that.

"What did they do to you?" Natsu asked. Wendy's eyes were tearing up.

"It's really not what it looks like at all," she said. "They tried to do some... things, but then suddenly, there was this loud thumping from above. From the sound of the panting, it seems like it might be Elfman."

Natsu nodded. "You're right. Where are your clothes?"

"I'm not sure. I woke up this way."

Natsu sighed and melted the chains at the base of her shackles next to her wrist. She'd have to keep them on until they had more time. When her limbs were free to move, he took off his sleeveless jacket, ripped some of the fabric from the bottom to make it short enough for her, and then swaddled her in its much larger size.

Leaving her to clasp it herself as they walked, he said, "This will have to work for now, because I don't think we have much time."

"Why so?"

Natsu looked more solemn than Wendy had ever seen him - and she had been with Fairy Tail since she was five.

"I don't know, it just feels that way."

* * *

Erza, with the only magic that couldn't be contained in special bondages or taken, was already running through the hallways, searching for her friends. Behind her, Charle, Happy, and Pantherlily followed.

"Erza, are we almost there?" Happy complained, out of breath. His wings were slowly folding in from fatigue.

The scarlet haired woman only grunted. She stopped in a new hall and quickly and cautiously began checking doors again, knocking on each one that was locked, listening for any noises.

Losing hope near the end of the corridor, she rapped sharply on the second to last door, and inside, she heard fabric rustling.

"Come in."

* * *

**A/N:**** I HOPE to be writing the next chapter while I have these few days off of work. Anyway, I'll see you next time! Review if you'd like.**

**-Amaya**


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